Harry Potter and the Unexpected Friend
by CaskettFan5
Summary: Complete. During Chamber of Secrets, Harry finds a friend in someone he'd never thought about before. That was the beginning of an experience that opened his eyes to what he had been missing.
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I'm just playing in JKR's sandbox for some fun and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

A/N: I would like to acknowledge Shygui for his kind assistance in making this story better than it would have been. Check out "A Fateful Walk" if you haven't already.

A/N2: If anyone has followed me from the Castle fandom, you may be disappointed to find this is about HP rather than Castle. I have another Castle story or two up my sleeve, I'll be back!

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. - Henry David Thoreau

It had all been too much for Harry: The staring, the whispers, the pointing fingers. It was bad enough with how it affected him but it also affected his friends. Ron had nearly gotten into a fight and even Hermione had had a surprising flare of temper over the rumours. When it was even getting to her, Harry had to act so he donned his invisibility cloak and hid most of the time. However, even he still had to do homework so he found himself in the library doing research for an essay.

He'd found an out-of-the-way corner to work in but when he had to get a book, he still wore his cloak. He came around a corner thinking he was near to finding the last book he needed when he stopped in consternation. The aisle was not vacant as he had hoped, a girl in Slytherin robes was perusing the tomes near the other end. He continued to move as quietly as he could while looking for his needed book and finally spotted it. Unfortunately, it was rather high up and the girl was still there.

He suppressed a huff of irritation as she fingered a book before moving on to another. Couldn't she just find her book and leave? While he glared at her he abruptly noticed how pretty she was. She had long blond hair, high cheekbones and a creamy complexion. She looked familiar, her name seemed to be just out of reach in his memory although he knew she was in his year when her name finally came to him: Greengrass, she was Daphne Greengrass. He realized that he knew nothing about her other than she was a pureblood as she'd never been one to provoke him, unlike Malfoy and his cronies.

She still showed no sign of finishing so he looked up at the book again and since she seemed to be concentrating on her own search so much, he decided to take a chance. Unfortunately, the book was high enough that his initial grip on the book wasn't sufficiently secure and it turned in his hand so he had to move his other hand quickly to control it fully and bring it under the cloak with him. Regrettably he wasn't silent about it and his cloak may have slipped momentarily. He was startled by a low challenge of "Who's there?"

He turned to look at Daphne and saw her levelling both a glare and her wand at him. Great, just what he needed. Now he might get hexed by another blond Slytherin, he could add that to his collection. He was in no mood for a straight answer so he whispered back, "The Heir of Slytherin."

He was so accustomed to her stoic, aristocratic manner that her brief smirk and incredulous whispered response surprised him. "Potter?"

He was so startled that he waited a beat too long to respond and she had begun to frown again and brought her wand back up after having briefly lowered it. "Yes, it's me."

She relaxed again and whispered, "Invisibility cloak?"

His initial and unseen nod embarrassed him so he whispered, "Yes."

Daphne put away her wand and took a few steps nearer to him as if still looking for a book. "So, you don't really like attention like Professor Snape says?"

He barely suppressed his scoff but did respond quietly. "Snape doesn't know me and never bothered to try to get to know me. He hated my dad so he hates me. My dad even saved his life and for some reason that made him angrier."

She flicked a surprised look in his direction before responding quietly. "They were rivals and really hated each other. Professor Snape didn't want to owe anything to an enemy."

Harry was gobsmacked. "How do you know that?"

"My mother told me, my mother was friends with your mother."

Harry was left speechless. Before he could think of anything to say she had looked around and whispered, "Good luck with your homework," and wandered back to where she'd been and continued her search for a book.

Harry muttered, "Thanks." After a pause he decided that he should get back to his work although he found his thoughts wandered back to the surprisingly friendly Slytherin a few times.

* * *

Daphne Greengrass had just finished her Potions essay and was thinking about one of the interesting topics that had come up among the reference books she'd used. Since Potions was part of her family's livelihood she wanted to excel at it, she was determined to use the rest of her afternoon to look for a good book to read on the subject of the various ways to classify ingredients. It was something she had only been vaguely aware of as it seemed to be more of an academic matter than a practical one but it was time to become familiar with it. She didn't really know if there were practical applications unless she knew more on the subject. She left her spot next to a still-busy Tracey Davis and wandered over a few rows to where the type of book she wanted was likely to be.

She was browsing through the books when she had an odd feeling of not being alone. Her eyes flicked down the aisle she was in but seeing nothing, she returned to her search and eventually touched a book she was considering but ultimately decided it wasn't quite what she wanted. Unexpectedly, she heard a soft sound and saw a book disappearing at the end of the aisle that she was in. She had learned to be cautious even before coming to Hogwarts so her wand was in her hand and she was glaring in the direction of an unseen interloper before issuing a stern challenge.

She was very surprised to hear the response and was delighted by the snarkiness of the answer. Was it really Potter? There was enough of a pause that she became wary again but eventually put away her wand after he confirmed it was him. Her father had drilled into her the benefits of having contacts plus she was curious so she engaged the Gryffindor in conversation. She quickly encountered his ignorance about his family and then realized to her shame that she was not considering the fact that he was an orphan. She'd heard that he had been forced to stay with Muggles, which explained his ignorance of the wizarding world. Apparently, he was ignorant of some basic personal knowledge as well. Wasn't he staying with relatives? Didn't they tell him anything?

She wasn't quite sure what to do so she retreated to her former search and relaxed when she was able to hear his quiet footsteps withdrawing. She had a lot to consider starting with the revelation of his being a Parselmouth in the aborted duelling club fiasco of two days ago that had made her think about the Gryffindor that she had heretofore never spoken with.

She had noticed him, of course, how could she not? He was as famous as Dumbledore and You-Know-Who and she'd used to own a full set of the books about him until she gave them to her little sister. She'd never mistaken them for reality, she'd known that they were fiction but they had been fun to read. She also vowed to herself that she'd never EVER admit to having owned them to the real boy.

If she'd had any illusions about the books being real, they would have been dashed when she first saw him in their first year. She'd glimpsed the sorry Muggle clothing he'd worn before putting on his robes. She'd seen he was shorter than she expected and way too thin. It had taken her a while to accept the possibility that he wasn't in a good situation wherever he lived as she couldn't think of any other reason for him to be so scrawny.

Now she even had some personal interaction with him and it just made the situation even more intriguing. He was clueless about their culture yet came from the same pureblood background as she did. He wore what was basically old rags at times yet the wealth of his family probably exceeded hers. Now she knew he even had what was certainly a very expensive and rare magical artefact: an invisibility cloak. He was a mystery wrapped in an enigma and Daphne loved solving mysteries.

She hadn't paid a lot of attention to what her mother had said about the Potters since she didn't know them but now she not only had some curiosity of her own, perhaps she could relay some of that information to Potter. He was famous and although reclusive, he did seem like a nice enough boy and didn't seek confrontations unlike some members of her house she could name. Perhaps she could get to know him? Her father would probably approve of that if he saw the possibility of some advantage for the family and given her mother's affiliation with his, her mother would most likely be all for it as well. Yes, this definitely called for writing a letter.

* * *

A small parcel was delivered to Daphne two days later during breakfast. She was a little surprised at the speed of the answer until she noted her mother's handwriting. Her mother was always faster to respond than her father. Tracey was curious but not intrusive as she took out a few photographs, a letter from her mother and an unusually thick note from her father. That was very intriguing, hearing from her father this quickly might indicate something important. However, as usual, her father's correspondence was sealed with family magic and she wasn't about to undo that with witnesses. She was forced to leave it for later and peered at the photos first.

It was mostly photographs of her mother with various other girls from Hogwarts. However, one stood out as it showed her mother with a large group from a wedding. She realized it was the wedding of Harry's parents when she saw how like his father that Harry was. Then the beautiful woman next to him must be Lily, his mother. There were three men near his father and the one closest to Potter was obviously a Black, most likely the traitor Sirius Black. There was one rather rotund and unpleasant-looking young man with them. She briefly wondered who he was.

"Who are they?"

Daphne was startled by Tracey's quiet question and looked around carefully before responding. When she turned to answer, she saw an inquisitive eyebrow raised by her friend. "I think it is the wedding of Harry Potter's parents."

Tracey's lips quirked before she responded. "Harry? Did you two talk more than you told me about?"

Daphne looked around again, frowning slightly before responding. "No. It's just his name, why are you making a big deal out of this?"

She had a knowing smirk before answering. "Why are you holding a photo of someone else's parents?"

She frowned further at Tracey before pointing out her mother near the bride. Tracey was not satisfied by that in the least and continued to wait for a proper answer.

Daphne huffed quietly and then put everything back into the envelope for more private consideration. She firmly said, "Later." She really liked her best friend but she had this annoying habit of wanting to talk about subjects that Daphne preferred to avoid. She wasn't even 13 yet, why was her friend trying to tease her about boys?

* * *

Harry was clenching his teeth after yet another maddening Potions class. He just wanted to get to the common room so he could push it all out of his mind. Hell, he'd even be willing to settle for getting thrashed at chess again by Ron than continuing to think about his problems for even another moment.

He was distracted from his musings by someone putting a note in his bag and the lingering scent of flowers as the person passed. The blond hair gave away the identity of his mysterious contact and once again he contemplated the conundrum that was Daphne Greengrass.

"Harry, are you all right?"

He looked into the concerned eyes of his friend Hermione and realized he would give everything away by standing around like an idiot. "I'm fine." He hurried towards the steps out of the dungeons forcing Hermione to hurry to catch up while Ron's long legs easily kept up on his other side.

When they reached the common room one glance at a very curious and intent Hermione led him to head for a secluded corner to satisfy both of their curiosities. Motioning for them to wait, he sat down and dug in his bag for the note as Ron stood uncertainly for a moment before joining the other two in sitting down. He brought up the note as Hermione asked, "Someone passed you a note?"

"Right. It was Daphne Greengrass, she dropped it in my bag as she passed." He was opening the note as he noticed Ron suddenly jerk into alertness.

"A Slytherin?"

Harry could see his suspicious look but decided to read the note before responding, it wasn't very long.

 **If you are interested in some information, come to the unused room across from the Charms classroom at 8PM tonight.**

At the bottom it was signed simply with initials: DG. He looked up at Hermione who was looking at him curiously. "She invited me to a meeting tonight."

Hermione's "Are you going?" nearly overlapped with Ron's "It's a trap!"

Harry glared at Ron for his volume and when Ron looked clueless, Harry brought up his finger to his lips. That action made Ron blush faintly and he glanced around for eavesdroppers; Ron, however, wasn't done yet as he followed up more quietly with, "Why would a Slytherin give you a note like that?"

Harry had decided not to read too much into his contact with Daphne before and hadn't mentioned it to his friends and now was beginning to regret that decision. "We talked a few days ago, in the library, her mother and mine were friends."

Hermione responded eagerly. "So she's going to share information about your family?"

Harry shrugged and responded with, "I guess so." Ron had remained silent so Harry looked up at him and he appeared to have tasted something unpleasant.

When Ron noticed Harry looking at him, he asked, "Your mum was friends with a Slytherin?"

"Just because Daphne is a Slytherin doesn't mean her mother was. Besides, I reckon once you graduate your house doesn't matter anymore."

Ron shrugged uncertainly, apparently not convinced by Harry's logic, so Harry turned to Hermione who was contemplating him with a small smile. "You should go."

Harry smiled and nodded in agreement while Ron appeared disgruntled but he had evidently decided to remain silent.

* * *

Tracey followed behind her friend and saw her enter a room she knew to be unused, one of many around the huge castle. She peered around and then hurried to a new vantage point and waited for Harry Potter to appear. She checked for the presence of her wand but left it where it was. She was slightly concerned for the safety of her friend but mostly, she was very curious about why she wanted to meet the mysterious Gryffindor.

Daphne had never shown much interest in any boy so this liaison with a boy had her curiosity fully aroused. That was made worse by the fact that her friend was being frustratingly vague about what she was doing. She really liked her best friend but this evasion of the most interesting subjects was not something Tracey liked. Really, if you can't tell your best friend your secrets, who can you tell?

She came alert when the door opened again, was her friend coming back out? She saw it shut again with no visible person involved. She wanted to slap her own face, she was so stupid! Daphne had told her that Harry had an invisibility cloak but she hadn't expected him to use it. She wasn't going to see anything tonight.

She snuck over and listened at the door. She heard absolutely nothing. One of them must have used a privacy charm. Given how secretive her friend was being, it was probably Daphne. She sighed in frustration and slowly made her way back to the dungeons. She wasn't going to have her curiosity satisfied tonight.

* * *

Harry's feelings fell somewhere in between Hermione's anxiousness to learn anything new and Ron's near-certainty that it was a bad idea. He left early for the rendezvous with his invisibility cloak on. He reached the place of the meeting and found a place out of the way to wait. He saw Daphne arrive alone and was relieved until he saw the girl she hung out with sneaking around behind her. He was pretty sure her name was Davis and that Daphne hadn't been aware of the fact that she was being followed.

That reassured him about Daphne but made him wonder about Davis. He watched her long enough to see that she appeared to be only waiting. Maybe she was nosy or maybe she was worried about her friend. Either way, she seemed harmless, especially now that he knew they had company. He didn't want to make Daphne wait any longer so he proceeded into the room.

He wasn't surprised when she said "Hello, Potter" once the door closed behind him. Having to open the door was a rather big giveaway of his presence. When he saw her wand in her hand as he was removing the cloak, he nearly went for his own before he realized she was casting spells towards the door. He looked curiously at her when she finished and put away her wand.

"What were those spells?"

"A simple locking charm and a privacy charm. I don't think either of us will want this conversation overheard."

He saw pieces of parchment and what looked like wizarding photographs on the desk near her. He understood the need for some security, he'd come in advance for a reason. He wasn't sure about the privacy charm though. Maybe this wasn't going to be about his family after all, sighing to himself he guessed that there was only one way to find out.

"What information did you have for me?"

"Much more than we can cover this evening, actually. First, we have to come to an agreement."

He tried to suppress his frown. "Agreement about what?"

"About confidentiality mainly but also what we each can gain from this affiliation."

Now he was really puzzled. "Affiliation?"

"I mean our association with each other... I'm not offering a familial alliance, I can't do that."

This was just getting more and more obscure for Harry. "What is a familial alliance?"

Daphne looked puzzled for a moment until her face morphed into realization and a slight blush. "Sorry. I keep forgetting you were raised by Muggles." She paused for a moment, apparently deep in thought. "This going to involve more than I thought. For now, I'll just talk about us and what can do for each other. If we agree, we can talk about other things as well."

Daphne sighed and gestured towards a nearby desk as she took a seat at the desk near her.

Harry grabbed a desk and turned it towards her before settling down himself. He then looked at her expectantly but he had to fight another frown when he saw her staring at him seriously. It was the hint of pity that annoyed him. Her face cleared before she began to speak again.

"I am the heiress of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass. That may not mean much to you now but in the magical world it carries with it certain expectations and obligations. Although we follow the old ways, we are not blood bigots."

She waited for a response, so he decided to offer his interpretation of her last sentence. "So you mean you don't hate Muggleborns."

She shook her head emphatically. "No, we don't. We don't hate Muggles either. However, Muggleborns don't understand or like the old ways and we understand why. There should be a class about wizarding culture for the Muggle-raised to understand us better but there isn't. By the way, that is deliberate. Whenever a class like that is brought up, a majority of the old families prevent it."

Harry was appalled. "Why?"

"So they can keep their power plus they see it as the Muggle raised's obligation to learn the culture they are entering, not as their obligation to teach them. If they didn't make it hard for the Muggleborns to understand our power structure, they might be able to make changes. Wizards and witches live longer than Muggles and that makes the people in power tend to be even more set in their ways. They don't like change. It's why we still wear robes; to be honest I'm a little surprised we speak contemporary English."

Daphne's smile helped him relax enough to smile back. He didn't like what he was hearing but he knew it wasn't her fault.

"What I'm trying to get at is that we tend to look at things differently than the Muggle-raised. It aligns well with what Slytherin valued in students so a lot of us end up in Slytherin. I can see you tensing up, I bet you think of Malfoy when you think of Slytherin, am I right?"

He was a little disconcerted by her observation of his feelings and felt further unsettled by her question. "Well, um, yeah."

He was surprised by her chuckle. "Malfoy isn't very Slytherin at all. You'd be surprised at how many of us don't like having him around. If our head of house wasn't so good at protecting our points, someone would have put him in his place by now. Privately, of course, we don't air in-house discord to outsiders."

Harry found that hard to believe and it must have shown on his face.

"I'm serious. Malfoy may be the loudest of us and that is part of what makes him a bad Slytherin. We're supposed to be cunning and ambitious not attract a lot of negative attention that interferes with our plans. You will also find that Malfoy's circle is rather small. Crabbe and Goyle follow him because of family obligations. Pansy fawns on him because her family is poor and hope to get their hands on some Malfoy gold through marriage. So far Lord Malfoy has resisted a contract with their family. He is probably hoping for a better match."

"Contract? Do you mean a marriage contract?"

"Some families have stopped using them but they are still used in the oldest families."

Harry's mind was boggled at that moment. There was so much he didn't know he couldn't even ask the right questions.

"That's a sample of the information I have to offer. I also have some information to share about your family." She paused to point at the papers and photos on her desk. "In exchange, I want information from you."

Harry looked at what was on her desk longingly before forcing himself to consider what she expected. What information could he possibly have that she wanted? "Information about what?"

"About you."

"Me? Why?"

She sighed and looked at him seriously as she pondered. "My father is Lord Greengrass. He's my father so he does look out for me but as Lord Greengrass, he has to look out for the entire Greengrass extended family. As my father, I owe him obedience and respect. As my head of house, I owe him even more than that. If he wrote a contract for me, I would be duty bound to follow it regardless of my feelings. He has to look out for the long-term viability of our family, not just me. Things have not been as quiet as most people seem to think since you somehow defeated the Dark Lord. My father wants to be ready for whatever is coming and like it or not, you seem to be one of the ones involved in whatever is coming. I will pass on what you tell me to him so he can make an informed decision for the family."

If they wanted to know all about him, that could include the Dursleys. As much as he wanted to know more about his family, he didn't know if he could talk about his time outside of Hogwarts. "What if there's something I don't want to talk about?" He saw her tense up and a flash of consternation in her eyes.

"Any question I ask you, you can ask me and I will answer truthfully."

The earnest look on her face made him believe her. She wasn't being her normal stoic self with him and he was catching more of her feelings than he'd ever seen before. She must be under orders from her father and that is forcing her to make concessions. He understood that she was making a commitment to him now. He was sure she had no stories of home life like his but she was offering to be as open as he was and he respected that.

He was torn about this deal they were proposing though. As much as he wanted the information that she could share, he wondered what would happen to the information he shared. He wasn't a Greengrass and her father would have no reason to protect him.

"You mentioned confidentiality. Does that mean what I say won't go to anyone other than your father?" He saw her hesitate and then think for a moment.

"Probably but I'll have to clear that with my father. How about this. What you tell me can only be shared with anyone else with your permission, would that work?"

Now it was his turn to ponder a response. His eyes flicked to the papers on her desk again and he was greatly tempted. "If we both agree to share information helpful to the other, I can agree."

A smile appeared briefly on her face and she nodded. "That we can agree on. I'll have to contact father and wait for his response. Would you want a signed contract or just a promise between us?"

A contract made him nervous, especially since they had just talked about _marriage_ contracts. "A promise is fine."

He saw her relax and there was another quick smile so he knew he'd made the right choice.

"For your part, you need to keep it quiet that I am sharing information with you."

"Why?"

"It will be harder for me to keep up with what is going on in Slytherin if they know I'm sharing information. It could also get me in trouble."

"Oh. Right, that makes sense. I'll keep it quiet."

"Good. I'll find a way to slip you another note when we can talk again." She turned to the door and said "Alohomora" as she sent a spell at the door.

He heard a click and knew he could leave. He regretted leaving the family information for later but understood that apparently, Slytherins don't give anything away for free. It sort of made sense but dulled his enthusiasm for this endeavour. On the other hand, he had just learned more about wizard society than he'd learned in his entire time at Hogwarts. He was going to get something of value back so he guessed it was all fair in the end. He was about to open the door when he remembered Davis.

"By the way, Davis followed you here."

He was reassured by her surprised look. "Tracey?" Then a frown formed on her face, "That's interesting." She smiled but it wasn't the happy sort of smile. "I'll take care of that. Here, given that you shared that information with me, I can share something now."

She went to the desk and selected a photo and came back with it. Harry saw a wizard photo of four girls in Hogwarts robes. He recognized one of them as his mother as she pointed her out and said, "Your mother." She pointed to the girl next to her, "My mother." She hesitated and then pointed to the next, "This is Alice Longbottom, Neville's mother. You probably know about her."

Harry shook his head in confusion.

"Oh, well maybe I shouldn't say more then. This last girl is Marlene McKinnon but she died just a few months before… your parents."

He could easily see her unease and appreciated her concern.

"Here. You can keep this one."

Harry gave her a big smile and a nod. "Thanks." He peered at the photo to look more closely at Daphne's mother since it was taken from a distance and details were a little hard to make out.

"She was a Slytherin."

"What?" He looked at her and saw her 'ice queen' face. Had he done something wrong?

"My mother was in Slytherin."

"Oh, err… that wasn't what I was looking for."

Her mask slipped as he saw a hint of surprise. "What were you looking for?"

Harry could feel his face heating up. "I was checking the resemblance to you. You look like your mum."

There was a hint of a smile on her face so he turned back to the photo. "Your mum is pretty." He felt his face heating once again but even worse this time. Why did he say that?

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

He could tell from her voice that she was teasing him so he didn't look as he was already blushing enough. He cleared his throat and replied, "Of course." He heard her chuckle and if anything his face felt even hotter. It was time to cut his losses.

"I'll wait to hear from you then."

"Bye, Potter.'

"Bye, Greengrass."

* * *

After the door shut, she took a deep breath before wandering back to the desk and practically falling into it. Except for final exams last year, that conversation might have been the most stressful time for her at Hogwarts. She knew her father wanted everything to be advantageous towards their family but she was very uncomfortable with taking advantage of Harry's naiveté. He may be ignorant but he wasn't stuck up or as closed minded as people seemed to think. She felt especially bad about assuming he had been checking her mother's house. He hadn't reacted too badly to her so she shouldn't have assumed the worst about him. She reasoned that if she worded her reply to her father correctly, he'd assume that Harry knew their ways and wouldn't be an easy mark. She'd obey her father of course, but she would phrase things so that she'd be unlikely to get orders she didn't want to carry out. She was confident in convincing him to agree to their terms.

Her mother would support her, of that she was certain. She'd expressed dismay at what she'd heard about the Potter heir. In fact, she could make sure that everything would go smoothly with a letter to her mother so she should get to that right away. She'd then use the enchanted parchment to contact her father tomorrow. She had wanted to emphasize the reciprocal nature of their pending agreement so when he told her about Tracey, she countered immediately by sharing a photo. It also made her feel good but she tried to ignore that as her father would consider that being soft although her mother would probably approve.

Now though she had to handle Tracey, slowly a smile appeared on her face as she planned what to say to her nosy friend and she was really looking forward to it. It had also been fun to tease Potter. Overall, the meeting had worked out pretty well in Daphne's view.

* * *

A rather bemused Harry slowly made his way back to Gryffindor tower. He had learned a lot and it appeared that he had an opportunity to learn even more. This could turn out to be very valuable to him. On the other hand, it was hard to trust someone that he'd really just met and the fact that she was a Slytherin didn't help. Then he considered the fact that his mother had had a Slytherin friend. She obviously hadn't shunned them so he probably shouldn't either. Also, he had seen some real signs of honesty, enough to make him cautiously optimistic but he really needed to talk to his friends.

As he entered the common room, he saw Ron about the same time that Ron saw him. Hermione looked up from her book a moment later and he headed over to them. They were already in a rather isolated corner so it looked like a good time for a private talk. Ron spoke first, relief evident in his tone.

"Good to see you, Mate."

Harry barely managed not to roll his eyes, Ron seemed incapable of giving anyone the benefit of the doubt. "She didn't try to ambush me, Ron."

It looked like Ron wanted to retort but he stopped himself. Hermione had the opposite reaction, "So, what did you two talk about?"

"Mostly pureblood customs. She wants us to come to an agreement, to exchange information."

"She didn't have you sign anything, did she?"

"No, Ron. We're not going to write a contract, we're just going to go on promises."

"Are they enforced by anything?"

"Not that I know of and she has to talk to her father first anyway."

"Her father? Why?"

"He's her head of house, Lord Greengrass."

Ron looked astonished. "Are you talking about a familial alliance?"

"No, this is only about exchanging information."

There was that alliance thing again. He was curious but Ron already seemed riled up so he decided to defer that question. His response seemed to satisfy Ron for the moment so Hermione stepped in. "What sort of information?"

"She's going to teach me about pureblood customs and she will share information helpful to me like what is going on in Slytherin. Also stuff about my family, of course."

Ron was surprised again. "That could be dead useful."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Hermione was still concerned. "What does she want in return?"

Harry felt a little sheepish. "Information about me and what's been happening."

Hermione considered that for a moment, scrunching her nose slightly before asking, "And how do you feel about that?"

"Not great but it might be worth it. She's contacting her father about confidentiality. I don't want anything going beyond Daphne and her father."

"That's a good idea. Why do they want information about you, though?"

Harry glanced around and lowered his voice forcing them all to lean in. "Her father suspects that Voldemort isn't gone for good. He wants to know what I know about what's going on so he can prepare their family for what might affect them."

Ron jumped in again. "But Harry, are you sure her father's not a Death Eater?"

He was about to deny that when he realized that they had never specifically covered that. "I don't think so. I guess I'll have to bring that up when she hears back from her father."

"But she's in Slytherin! Can you trust what she says?"

"She said she'd tell the truth."

"If there's no enforcement on that, you won't know for sure."

Harry sighed. Ron was getting a little irritating but it also looked like he needed another long talk with Daphne Greengrass. "By the way, nobody else can know about me getting information from Greengrass, it could get her in trouble."

Ron frowned but after a moment, he nodded an acknowledgement. Harry looked at Hermione and she promptly said, "Of course, Harry."

Harry suddenly realized he had one thing more to share. He took the photo from his pocket and held it so both of them could see as he pointed out who each of the girls were. He noticed a slight reaction from Ron when he pointed out Neville's mother. That increased his curiosity so he wanted to see if Ron would share information. "Neville has never mentioned his parents. Daphne knew something but said it wasn't her place to tell me." Harry looked at Ron as he said this and Ron noticed.

"Ummmm, well, I reckon she has a point on that. If you want to know, you should ask Neville. I don't know anything for sure, just what I heard. It might not be right anyway."

Harry nodded thoughtfully then looked at both of them. "Should I show this to him?" Hermione nodded yes right away but Ron thought a moment before saying, "Yes."

With their endorsement confirming what he had already planned, Harry got up and headed for the stairs after failing to see Neville in the common room.

* * *

Hermione considered Ron thoughtfully after Harry left. She was surprised that Ron kept what he thought he knew to himself out of consideration for someone else. It wasn't the sort of thing she was accustomed to seeing from him and she sort of liked it. When Ron seemed aware of her attention and began to fidget, she just smiled and returned to her book. Apparently, Ron could be more complex than she had thought.


	2. Ignorance Isn't Bliss

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thank you for the favorites, follows and reviews as they are part of what keeps me writing. The other part are these story ideas that keep popping up in my head but that's another subject. On with the story!

The man who realizes his ignorance has taken the first step toward knowledge. - Max Heindel

Harry stared at the picture in his hand as he went up the stairs but he really wasn't thinking about the picture. Something must have happened with Neville's parents so would showing this to him make him feel bad? Also, he was curious about what had happened but he didn't like people sticking their noses into his business. Was he about to do the same thing to Neville? His enthusiasm for talking to Neville dissipated with every step he took.

He looked around the room as he entered and saw that Neville was alone, lying on his bed reading a book. However, when Harry looked closer he saw that Neville really wasn't reading, he was merely staring in the general direction of an open book. Neville suddenly reacted to Harry's entrance and looked a little embarrassed as he put the book away.

"Hi, Harry."

"Hi, Neville. Ummm, I just got a picture of my mum and your mum is in it. Would you like to see?"

Harry watched carefully for Neville's reaction. He would be quite quick to drop the issue and leave at the slightest negative reaction. The first flicker of reaction wasn't encouraging, Neville had paled. However, a look of curiosity came over him as he replied, "Sure. Let's have a look then."

Harry relaxed a bit as he approached Neville and sat beside him and showed him the picture. He pointed to each one from left to right.

"My mum, Mrs. Greengrass, your mum and Marlene - um... Blimey, I forget her last name. She's dead though, before my parents."

Harry watched as Neville looked at the picture wistfully. Harry looked again and saw that Neville's mum alternated between posing for the camera and saying something towards Daphne's mum and his mum. It struck him then that all four of them seemed so carefree. Within a few short years two of them were dead and one, well, he didn't know yet about Neville's mum. Neville looked at the picture so long that Harry began to become uneasy despite the fact it appeared he'd made the right decision to share the picture.

Neville spoke softly but clearly. "Our parents were friends."

"Really? I didn't know." Although this was yet another thing he hadn't known, this did not make him upset. It was enough that he knew it now and maybe he could be a better friend to Neville.

"Neville, what is a familial alliance?"

Neville looked at Harry sharply in surprise. "I thought you didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"About our familial alliance."

Harry asked with obvious surprise, "We have one?"

Neville got a little shy again. "I thought that is why you brought it up. Um, a familial alliance is when two families swear to defend each other and support each other. They are made or dissolved between the heads of houses. Our fathers made the alliance between our families. My mum is your godmother and your mum was my godmother."

Harry was gobsmacked. "I have a godmother?"

Neville blushed and looked away and Harry felt his stomach twist and wondered if she should try to show Neville some support. He just knew this was going to be bad and began to wonder about deciding to show the photo to Neville all over again. Neville began to speak so softly that Harry had to lean in to hear him.

"Not really. She's in the long term care ward at St. Mungo's. She doesn't know who anyone is. I'll understand if you want to end the alliance."

Harry wasn't even sure he could breathe at that moment. The information shared by Neville in his quiet voice was all just so overwhelming. He was sure of one thing though. "Why would I want to do a daft thing like that? I'd be glad to stand with you anytime, Neville." Neville gave him a gobsmacked look so Harry continued. "It took real courage to stand up to us last year, Neville. Dumbledore gave you points for a reason."

Neville blinked at him again, still stunned but slowly a smile began to grow on his face. "Thanks, Harry. I won't let you down."

"I won't let you down either, Neville." Then Harry paused as he thought about how much he had ignored him in the past. "Well, I won't let you down anymore."

"But you never let me down, Harry."

"Yes I did and I have to stop that now. I should have paid more attention to you. Why don't you study with us? It can help to have other students to talk to when you get stuck."

Neville looked a little surprised again. "Sure, I could do that."

Harry grinned and suggested, "Maybe you can help me on my Herbology essay. I still need a couple of inches."

Neville nodded with a smile.

* * *

Roxanne Greengrass was thinking about looking in on Astoria to see how she was doing on her lesson when she heard something arrive in their banishing box. For security reasons, they did not allow owls to come to their home, they paid the goblins to receive and check the mail first. She looked inside and saw an envelope and opened it since it was only addressed to her and was written in Daphne's handwriting. She must be using the enchanted parchment to contact her father. She just hoped that Cyrus didn't order Daphne to keep things from her, she'd have to watch for signs of that.

She smiled as she read her daughter's letter. She definitely shared her concern for the young Potter heir. She had wondered if, even at this early stage that it might be more than impersonal concern with her daughter and her suspicions only increased as she read this letter. She had thought that Daphne would start to show interest in boys soon and it appeared that time was now. She wasn't positive though and she definitely wouldn't say anything to Daphne about it yet. She knew her daughter too well and Daphne would just dig in her heels at any suggestion of her being attracted to any boy.

Nonetheless, this turn of events was very encouraging and Roxanne had every intention of supporting her daughter in her self-appointed task. If her husband was inclined to try to take advantage of the so-called 'boy who lived' she would join her daughter in opposing that plan. She smiled fondly, her husband was stubborn too but she knew if they ganged up on him, he would eventually concede the game. Who knew, perhaps one day the futures of the Potter and Greengrass families might be aligned.

She also had a very personal reason for her views. Her husband had been two years ahead of them and hadn't really known her friends but she still held them dearly in her heart and missed them. Her daughter and Lily's son having at least a friendship gave her a very warm feeling. She may not have been as close to Potter and his gang but her friend Lily was so much in love that she couldn't help but look on James Potter with more favourable eyes. She'd never really liked his friends much, especially that Pettigrew boy. He'd always given her a bad feeling and she didn't understand why they had him around so often.

Her thoughts then turned to the son of another of her friends. Unfortunately, the Dowager Longbottom was not on good terms with the Greengrass family so her interactions with Neville were extremely limited. Her daughter's letter hadn't mentioned him at all and she wondered how Heir Longbottom was faring. She'd have to remember to ask Daphne about him during winter break.

* * *

The day had been difficult for Harry. He'd had trouble focussing ever since he'd received the note from Daphne about meeting tonight. He'd done alright during classes, Hermione had helped see to that but he was thankful he hadn't had history that day, it would have been dreadful. He was with his friends, which now included Neville, and trying to study. He hadn't made much progress on his potions essay though as his mind kept going to thoughts of his upcoming meeting.

He was anxious to see what happened yet frustrated at the same time. Questions kept reverberating in his mind. _Why did Slytherins have to make everything so bloody difficult? Why was so much expected of him when hardly anyone bothered to so much as lift a finger to help?_ Then there was his all-time favourite question: _Why didn't he already know all of this stuff?_

Abruptly, he had a different thought about that last question: what had he done to educate himself? He had made a cursory search of the library last year for information about wizarding culture and came up empty, probably for the reasons that Daphne had already told him. However, that wasn't his only area of ignorance. Wasn't it rather pathetic of him to whine about being kept in the dark when he did so little to correct that? He may not be a Ravenclaw but he didn't need to be a lazy git either. Perhaps he should spend less time playing games or lazing around and more time trying to find out what he needed to know.

He pondered that thought for so long that he was surprised when Hermione poked him to get his attention. "Harry, isn't it time for you to go?"

Was it? He glanced at his watch and discovered to his surprise that she was quite correct. If he didn't hurry, he'd be late. He was very embarrassed to be risking being late after obsessing about the meeting all day. He began to throw his stuff together when Ron spoke up. "Leave it Harry, I'll take it up for you later."

"Thanks, Ron." He gave his friend a smile which he expanded to the whole group before hurrying to the door. He had his cloak already with him so he slipped it on after exiting the common room and rushing towards his meeting. He had planned to go early like before but had let time get away from him so he wondered why he had bothered with the cloak. He reached the correct part of the castle just in time to see Daphne disappear into the door. He slowed down to regain his breath and looked around for Davis but saw nobody. When he got there and his breathing was nearly normal, he removed the cloak and entered the room.

He saw her look up from where she was placing some papers and photos to give him a brief, nervous smile. It was somewhat reassuring that she was nervous also but that just made the stakes seem even higher, which was no help at all. After she sent the same two spells towards the door, she sat down and watched him resume the same seat he had used before.

"My father agreed on the confidentiality you wanted. Before we finalize the agreement, do you have any other questions or issues to raise?"

It was time but he didn't feel ready, how do you ask someone if there father is a murderer? He'd rehearsed his questions but what he had settled on just flew right out of his head at that moment. He grumbled silently about having wasted that time and effort. "Well, one thing was, well…. Is your father a Death Eater?" Daphne looked like she'd been slapped. His heart sank as he began to berate himself. Why hadn't he come up with a better way to bring that up?

"No! Absolutely not! How dare you suggest such a thing! Do you think every Slytherin is a Death Eater? Is that how you see us?"

He gulped as she looked livid. Her normally pale complexion was now very red and he saw something in her eyes that made him feel very bad. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to be sure."

Her eyes hardened into a glare but at least her complexion and body language eased up as she slowly relaxed. Harry watched as she visibly brought herself back under control, she took a deep breath and then asked a question much more calmly. "Why did you ask that?"

Harry suppressed a gulp, he was very much still in trouble. "I just wanted to be sure. I didn't want to help somebody who would help Voldemort come back."

Her complexion suddenly went the other way and she looked very pale and shaken. She spoke in almost a whisper. "So he really isn't dead then."

Harry wasn't sure if she expected an answer but shook his head no anyway.

She cleared her throat and spoke in a more normal tone. "What made you think my father was one of them?"

"Well, somebody brought up the possibility and I wasn't sure." He felt his cheeks warming and had to force himself to keep facing her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Weasley, no doubt." She sighed before continuing. "My father might support the old ways but he doesn't support the Dark Lord. He targets purebloods as much as he targets anyone else. Everybody would suffer if the Dark Lord took over. Officially, the Greengrass family is neutral. Privately, we hoped he was dead and gone. Apparently, that isn't true."

She looked away as if contemplating something but eventually she turned back to look at Harry. She seemed calm again when she asked, "Was there anything else?"

"Yes. I was wondering about the promises we're going to make. Is there any enforcement?"

She brightened and almost smiled. "Now that's a very good question and I worked on that. I found a way to make a promise enforced by pain. If either of us breaks the promise we make, we feel pain. How much depends on how badly we broke the promise. Also, the pain will gradually increase if you fail to correct your breach of promise. It's a way to enforce the promise with minimal risk but still have a real compulsion to keep the promise."

At first Harry didn't like that but then had to concede that it all made sense. He certainly didn't intend to break the promise but he just knew something he didn't want to talk about would come up sooner or later. He looked again at the papers and photos and his reluctance wavered. "And we both make the same promise?"

"Exactly. Here, I wrote it down. You can look at it."

Harry was immediately impressed. First of all, her penmanship made him feel like an idiot, sometimes he had trouble reading what he himself had written. On top of that her writing was extremely even while what he wrote was initially dark then slowly fading until he had to dip his quill again. As if that wasn't enough, her promise was clear and covered everything they had discussed. He doubted that he could have done such a good job himself. There was, however, one part of her promise he'd have to change.

"Since I don't have a father, can I substitute my friends?"

She looked wary again. "Weasley and Granger, nobody else?"

Harry realized that the recent addition of Neville to his group of friends probably wasn't generally known. On the other hand, should he include Neville? He wasn't sure. "I'm friends with Neville Longbottom too."

She relaxed her posture once more. "Longbottom? I have met him a few times. He would understand agreements like this. I'd trust him more than Weasley. Granger seems OK."

She sounded a little dubious about Hermione but he just nodded confirmation and then she continued. "If they keep this to themselves and don't disclose the source, it will fit the promise. Keep in mind that if they break the agreement, as soon as you become aware of it, you will be in pain."

Harry couldn't suppress a nervous swallow. "But…. What would end it?"

"Disclosing it to the other party, in this case, me. Remember our lessons that magic is based on intent? I do not intend for you to suffer needlessly, nor myself of course. In that case it isn't your fault. We both need to focus on our intent."

He remembered that from a lecture in first year, from McGonagall he thought. He wasn't worried about Hermione, she was still controlled enough even during a rant and Neville was definitely quiet. Ron on the other hand, he had some concern about. However, he was sure he could impress on him how important this was, what was at stake here. He looked up and saw Daphne was back to her stoic face and watching him intently.

"Agreed."

Daphne relaxed a bit and nodded then held out her hand. Harry was uncertain of what to do for a moment until she cut her eyes toward her parchment and he quickly handed it back to her while trying unsuccessfully to suppress a blush. He was pretty sure he detected the trace of a smirk, which didn't help his composure at all.

"I swear under penalty of pain that I will be truthful in what I say, I will answer your questions, I will try to include everything that is helpful and will tell what I learn only to my father and it will go no further without the other party's consent. So mote it be."

Her wand flashed with light and then she looked expectantly at him as she slid the paper over to him. The fact that she went first impressed him and his reluctance melted away.

"I swear under penalty of pain that I will be truthful in what I say, I will answer your questions, I will try to include everything that is helpful and will tell what I learn only to my friends and it will go no further without the other party's consent. So mote it be."

He felt something shift in him, which he assumed was probably his magic and then his wand flashed just as Daphne's had.

"We have an agreement then. Did you have any questions?"

He looked at the parchment again and decided to ask only about the ink. "How do you get your ink to be so even when you write?"

She looked very surprised at his question. "I just use a self-inking quill. Don't you use one?" His blank look was enough of an answer for her. She looked down in her bag and pulled out a quill. "Here, I have spares. You can have this one. Just dip it in your ink once and it will use it until it is gone. It's guaranteed to give you a consistent line until you run out of ink. Then, just dip it in the next bottle. You can get them from Scrivenshaft's. You can owl them for an order form."

"Thanks."

She was definitely smirking now. "That was easy. Now it's my turn. What happened to Quirrell in first year?"

Harry sighed; this was going to take a while. She asked a few questions to clarify things during his story but mainly remained silent and very solemn, especially when she found out what was sticking out of the back of the professor's head. When he finished she seemed to be thinking intently and then looked at him as if concerned.

"Did you ever suspect that Dumbledore might have been testing you?"

Harry was gobsmacked, what was she talking about? "Testing me? How?"

"To see what you would do. I mean, think about it. He's called away under false pretences, he takes a broom of all things to London and it took him so long to figure it out that he's gone long enough for everyone to find out, for both of you to get all the way inside and fight, for your friends to make it back out and he comes almost too late? That doesn't make sense. Dumbledore shouldn't be so easy to fool and he could have Apparated in an instant."

"Also consider the design of the challenges to enter. They aren't meant to prevent entry, only to delay it. Dumbledore may have been hoping to trap him but again, he'd have to come back in time to spring the trap yet he almost doesn't. Based on what he said, the Dark Lord didn't flee until Dumbledore pulled Quirrell off you. He should have sprung the trap then if there was one. I think something else is going on here; something like a test for you."

Harry really wanted to refute her idea but the longer he considered it, the more sense she made. Why was Dumbledore gone so long? Why had he and his friends been left to their own devices for so much time? Still, the fact that it might have been a test for him made him feel very uneasy. He'd made excuses for Dumbledore when it came up during his talk with his friends last year, but was the whole thing just some dangerous, premeditated test?

He heard a gasp from Daphne as she checked the time and he quickly realized it was nearly curfew. If they didn't hurry, they could get in trouble. With his cloak, there was little risk for him and he considered suggesting he escort her back under his cloak but she pre-empted him with a quick thank you for his time and a wish for a good night mixed with a promise to tell him about his family the next time they met before she hurried out the door. Harry took his time before he donned his cloak and headed back towards his common room still obsessing about what had happened last year. Could Dumbledore's motives be less innocent than he had thought?

* * *

Daphne had trouble hiding her nerves all day and had to resort to her Occlumency exercises later in the day. It was all rather embarrassing for her. She had some reason to be nervous as her father had brought up how important this information could be to the family. However, something about it being Harry that she was to meet made it even worse. She didn't want to examine that thought too closely, that was a different sort of awkwardness altogether.

She was still setting up when Harry entered and she had to fight a blush. She then noticed that he'd seemed slightly out of breath, perhaps he had lost track of time? She tried to calm herself as she examined him and saw signs of nervousness from him as well. Good. At least she wasn't the only one.

She thought she had managed to settle down and started things off well when he up and accused her father of being a Death Eater! How dare he! After she began to cool down she realized he had not accused, he had only asked and it was probably because of the Weasley git that it came up at all.

When she had finally calmed down completely though, a disquieting thought came to her. Did she really know for certain that her father hadn't been a Death Eater? He certainly didn't speak of them like he'd be one but she didn't know how he came to that opinion. Her relationship with her father was not like the one that she shared with her mother. Her father was more detached and normally didn't interact with her without a reason, usually in her role as heir. She didn't know nearly as much about his past as she did her mother's.

Such thoughts fled from her mind as she listened to his story though. She ended up being very impressed with Harry. He might be ignorant and some might put off his accomplishment to luck but Daphne wouldn't do that. Harry Potter was brave, determined and obviously had some real magical power. He was also impulsive, introverted and probably a little lazy. That Weasley git certainly was lazy.

At the end of his story, Daphne found that she had some real questions about what Dumbledore had done. She knew her father didn't fully trust Dumbledore so she was cautious as well. However, this story led her to considering possibilities that were much more serious and threatening than vague suspicions. He may look like the eccentric grandfather type but could he be that cold and manipulative? A very unwelcome fact invaded her thoughts, Harry really could have died in that fiasco. It was very troubling and she felt compelled to share her thoughts causing Harry some visible anguish as he absorbed what she was telling him.

Casting a quick spell while he was pondering, she realized what time it was and had to hurry off. She felt guilty that they didn't get to what Harry really wanted so she decided his family information would come first next time. However, her father had made it clear that he wanted their connection to Harry to be confidential for now. She was not to draw any attention whatsoever. She couldn't risk being caught out after curfew, she'd face more than a detention as her father would be very displeased.

* * *

Harry barely made it into the common room before curfew. He'd just been thinking too hard to hurry. He saw three very concerned faces and headed over to them right away. There were some first years a little closer than he liked but they were in a noisy gobstones game and seemed to ignore everybody else. Although all three of his friends looked anxious to see him, Neville looked the most ill at ease so he greeted him first.

"Hey, Neville. Are you OK?"

"Yeah, sure Harry. I'll just leave so the rest of you can talk."

Harry wondered what brought that on but noticed the glare Hermione levelled at Ron and his subsequent sheepish look. He turned back to Neville to reassure him. "You are welcome to the conversation, Neville. It's OK for all three of you to know what is going on."

As they settled in again, Harry checked the status of the rowdy first years and they were still ignoring Harry's group. "First, we all have to be careful about what I hear from Daphne. This absolutely cannot go beyond us or I will suffer the consequences."

Ron was frowning. "What consequences?"

"Pain. The promise we made is enforced by pain. If any of you reveal this, I feel pain."

"Blimey, Harry. Why did you agree to that?"

"Because she made the exact same promise. You wanted the promise enforced and it is."

The two boys looked grim while Hermione looked worried. She asked, "How much pain?"

"It depends on the infraction. If we all stick to confidentiality, I'll be fine."

"Of course, Harry," came from Neville first whilst Ron muttered, "I'll keep my mouth shut." Hermione added, "You can count on me."

Harry was reassured by how seriously Ron was taking it so he proceeded to summarize what they had said to each other and ended with her interpretation of last year's events. Neville looked gobsmacked, Ron looked annoyed but Hermione's reaction intrigued Harry the most. She looked like she had failed a test or something.

Harry looked at Hermione and asked, "What are you thinking?"

Hermione looked at Ron first, who still looked annoyed and then back at Harry. "She did make some good points…."

That was too much for Ron. "I can't believe this. She's a Slytherin who's trying to make trouble."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron before continuing. "Remember, Ron? When we met Dumbledore in the front hall, he already knew that Harry had gone for the stone."

"Well, that doesn't mean…." Ron ground to a halt while watching Hermione's worried look. "You really think it could be true?"

"I don't know and that's what's bothering me."

As Ron absorbed that, he began to look worried too. Harry turned to Neville who seemed to be thinking hard. "What do you think, Neville?"

Neville looked like he didn't like be put on the spot but he finally responded. "Gran says that Dumbledore probably has more secrets than anybody else. Still, I'd hate to think he'd put students in danger like that."

Harry had had more time to think about it so he made one of his points. "Neville, he put us in danger the moment he brought the stone into Hogwarts."

Now Neville looked appalled and they all waited as the first years finally finished their game and noisily made their way to their dorm rooms. Silence came over the group as they all contemplated what they had heard. Ron snapped out of it first.

"So, what did she have to say about the Heir of Slytherin?"

Harry felt like pounding his head on the table. He'd completely forgotten! They had Polyjuice Potion brewing but he could have gotten faster information if he'd just remembered to ask. Running his hands through his already messy hair he sighed, "Sorry, Ron. I completely forgot."

Ron looked disgruntled but said nothing. Hermione chimed in with, "You'll get to that next time."

Having nothing else to say, they followed the recently departed first years in heading for the stairs to their dorms.

* * *

Albus didn't enter his office until late that Saturday morning. Sometimes he felt his age and this morning seemed to be one of those times. He was surprised to see the enchanted book he used to track certain activities in the library was glowing rather brightly. The more entries waiting for his perusal, the brighter it glowed so there must be a lot for him to catch up on.

He opened it expecting to see some upper year activity in the restricted section but the last entry there was the curious selection by Hermione Granger. That was a rather challenging book for a second year and he was rather proud of her even though he did wonder what she was up to. He wouldn't consider her a prankster like the Weasley twins who had managed to get their hands on that same book the previous year. On the other hand, Severus Snape wasn't the sort to give extra credit assignments, especially to a Gryffindor.

No, the recent activity was tracking an individual, one Harry Potter to be exact. He frowned as he scanned through the entries. Harry was researching something very methodically in the back issues of the Daily Prophet. Then the significance of the dates hit him and his anxiety started to rise. Harry had started about a week before the death of his parents and was now a few weeks past that and apparently still at it.

What was the boy looking for other than the obvious? Why was he continuing on so far beyond the awful events of that Halloween long ago? He pondered asking the boy himself what he was up to but discarded that idea. No, best to let the poor boy learn whatever it was that he wanted to know. He might mention it to Minerva though, just to see if the boy was upset about whatever he found.

Yet again, he found his thoughts drifting to what he had done, and not done, to get the boy ready for his destiny. He'd felt so certain of his plan all those years ago when he first placed Harry with his aunt. However, the results were not quite as good as he had hoped. The boy was too quiet and too isolated. On the other hand, the two friends he had were very close to him. Perhaps his plan was working well enough. He was brought out of his thoughts by a trill from Fawkes that made him smile. It appeared that even Fawkes was hopeful.

* * *

Harry had just gotten up to leave the library and was surprised when Davis brushed past him and gave him a note. He slipped it into a pocket and kept going just as she had. He had to admit, what she had done seemed innocent and even if someone had been watching, they would probably think nothing of it. He brought out the note and looked at it once he was alone in the hall and as he suspected, it was from Daphne and they were to meet right after dinner than night. That was fine with him as he had to make up for his previous oversight.

Harry got to the room first but he didn't have to wait long as Daphne appeared and gave him a tentative smile. She treated the door to the same two spells and took several things out of her bag and waved him over sit next to her desk. He brought his usual desk over next to hers and saw her holding out a photo already.

She began to tell him about each photo before giving it to him and telling him stories that her mother had shared with her. There were a few things that he'd heard before like his father's talent for transfiguration and his mother's for potions and charms. However, there were also stories about his mother that were completely new to him. He was so immersed in this new experience that he completely forgot all of his questions.

He came out of his happy daze to find Daphne looking at him with an inscrutable expression. It wasn't her normal public impassiveness, there was emotion there but he didn't know what it was. She shook her head as if coming out of her own daze and hurriedly handed him a blank piece of parchment. He examined both sides and then looked at her in confusion while she smirked. He just began to frown at her when she giggled and held up a hand as if giving up.

"Sorry, Potter. I couldn't resist. It's enchanted with Greengrass family magic. I asked my father for it and he sent it to me. It's a more private way for us to communicate. All you have to do to key it to you is to put a drop of your blood on it. I already did that with this one." She held up another blank piece of parchment and looked at him expectantly.

He looked at it and wondered how to cut himself when she offered him a small silver knife. "I can heal the cut for you if you keep it small. All you need is one finger prick."

He squeezed a drop of blood on to the parchment and it immediately disappeared while the parchment glowed briefly. As promised she healed his finger good as new and accepted her knife back.

She held up her parchment and started speaking. "I'll show you how they work. These are linked so what is written on one is copied to the other one. However, only the person whose blood activates it can see the message. The message will disappear from your parchment when I read it on mine. The message will remain on mine until you write a new message. Try it now. Write something on yours without letting me see and I'll read it to you."

He gave her a look then turned around and scribbled a message and saw it disappear almost immediately when he was done. He turned to her and saw her smirking again.

"First of all, Potter, you really need to work on your penmanship."

He tried to glare at her but he knew it was true so it seemed ineffective as she simply grinned even more widely at him.

"You wrote: Why did Davis deliver your note this time? Now, I will answer." She moved her note to her desk and wrote something that he couldn't see. It was as if she hadn't used ink. She saw him looking and held up her seemingly blank parchment. "You can't see anything here, can you?"

He shook his head in the negative and looked at his own parchment and was surprised to see her answer in her neat script.

 **She volunteered. It was my way to let her be a part of this without really telling her anything.**

"This is really neat magic. Can you tell me about it?"

"Sorry. Like I said it is family magic. I could tell my husband…."

Suddenly Daphne's eyes flew open wide and she covered her mouth in embarrassment. Harry didn't get it at first then it was his turn to be embarrassed. She couldn't have been referring to the two of them, could she? No, of course not but it was still awkward to think about.

He groped for a change of topic and the unasked question finally came to him. "Do you know who the Heir of Slytherin is?"

He saw a look of what might have been gratitude in her eyes as she refocussed to answer his question. "You mean from the message in the hallway?" Harry nodded so she continued. "No. it makes sense it would be someone in Slytherin house though. The only rumours I have heard were about you being the heir." She shook her head and grinned as she said the last sentence so he knew that she found it ridiculous.

"Well, we thought it might be Malfoy…." He drifted to a stop as Daphne went into hysterical laughter and it took her a few moments to recover.

"Malfoy? No. Just, _**no**_. Like I said he's not even a true Slytherin. He has no clue who the heir is, he admitted it in our common room. But…." She looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "He did seem to know that something would happen this year. Plus he said something to Goyle about his father telling him to not interfere with something, I didn't catch what. However, he's been as surprised as anyone at what is happening. If he's involved at all, he certainly isn't aware of exactly what is happening. Did you have any reason for suspecting him?"

Well, that certainly set them back to square one and now he wondered what they'd do with that potion they were brewing. Harry mentally sighed and then told her about seeing them in Borgin and Burkes, them selling poisons and then the run-in at the bookstore that resulted in a fight between Lucius and Arthur. She took it all seriously but wasn't puzzled until he described the fight.

"Wait. You're saying that Lucius Malfoy got into a Muggle style fight with Mr. Weasley?"

"Exactly."

"That's incredible! I can't imagine him doing that. Unless he was caught completely off guard.…"

"No, he was facing Mr. Weasley and taunting him."

"Like he _wanted_ there to be a fight?"

"Yes."

"Now _that_ is strange. Why would Lucius Malfoy do something like that?" Daphne looked completely baffled and then looked at him again. "Is there anything else that points to the Malfoys?"

"Only how happy Malfoy is about this whole heir thing."

Daphne still looked preoccupied but then focussed on him again. "OK, I'll keep my eyes and ears open. It might be one of the upper years. The magic involved is very advanced, too advanced for second years."

Harry was miffed, they'd taken a serious risk to get ingredients for a potion they now apparently had no use for and all of his suspicions were for naught. She then surprised him with a question.

"So, are you going to tell me about the car?"

She was smirking like she knew this would be embarrassing for him. He huffed and tried to hide his own smile before he decided to satisfy her curiosity. As he expected, she had found it as amusing as he found it embarrassing. Especially the part where it had been pointed out the whole car excursion had been unnecessary. She did seem to find the part about Ron's broken wand bizarre though.

"Why didn't Weasley get a new wand? He can't go through a whole school year with a broken wand."

"He's afraid of his mother's reaction after the whole car thing."

"Seriously? Hasn't a teacher noticed? He's even more an idiot than I thought if he's willing to waste a year of his education."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her and she quickly reacted. "OK, that might have been harsh but it's true. Is his embarrassment really worth a wasted year?"

He still didn't like what she'd said but deep down he had to admit she had a point. "OK, I'll talk to him about it."

She checked the time and sighed. "It's getting late and my father has been concerned about what is happening here. I'll have to send this information to him with the same enchantment we now have to communicate. You and I can not only more easily set up meetings this way, we can communicate quickly. It will heat up and glow when a message is received but only you will feel the heat or see the glow. It's all very discreet. Is there anything else you wanted to cover tonight?"

"No, I guess that covers it for now."

"Goodnight, Potter."

"Goodnight, Greengrass."


	3. Sudden Insights

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Continued thanks to shygui for being a very helpful beta. Thanks also to all those reading and especially those reviewing.

"I have a cunning plan." ― Richard Curtis, Blackadder the Third

Harry's update to his friends was routine until he got to the last part where Daphne brought up Ron's wand. Ron chose to be insulted despite Harry paraphrasing her far more gently than what she'd actually said.

"She can keep her opinions to herself!"

Hermione tried first, "Ron, I really think…."

"No. I'm doing well enough. I'll see about it during the summer."

Hermione looked to him for help so he decided to try. "I think we should talk to McGonagall about it."

Ron glared at Harry but said nothing. "I'm serious. Maybe she could contact your father instead of your mum. Let him decide."

For the first time since it came up, Ron wavered so Harry tried again. "It's worth a try, Mate."

Ron gave a weary sigh before finally nodding acceptance.

* * *

It was late that night before Daphne was free to go to bed. She'd sealed and warded her bed curtains and spent a lot of time writing to her father. It may be a fast way to communicate remotely but it was still slow and tedious writing everything down. In the latter part of their correspondence, her father had been very curious about the malfunctioning portal to the platform. Harry hadn't told her anything about what caused it so it remained a mystery to them. Her father encouraged her to find out anything else that Potter might know about the heir. Somehow, despite all of the children who must be writing to parents, very little had gotten out. This had them both very curious.

Still, she was too preoccupied to go right to sleep. She had slipped up twice during her meeting with Harry and had been careful to allow none of that to come through in what she'd written to her father. He'd been so adorably fascinated to hear stories of his parents that she'd gotten lost in the moment herself. That was bad enough but then talking about having a husband when she'd been explaining why she couldn't share family magic with him was many times worse. She couldn't understand how that had come out of her mouth.

Fortunately, that had seemed to go over his head for the most part. She was also very grateful that he'd changed the subject. So, she had to admit that he was cute. And nice. But they were just associates. Tracey would just have to keep all of that romance nonsense to herself so it wouldn't pop into her head anymore. Her and Harry Potter? Ridiculous.

* * *

Monday, Harry and Ron headed to McGonagall's office during a free period hoping that she wasn't busy with a class for some other year but they were lucky and she was in. She greeted them well enough but her suspicious look at him made Harry nervous.

"Are you two in trouble again?"

Harry exchanged an embarrassed look with Ron who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. "Err, no. This is really something that happened with the whole car-tree thing. Ron's wand broke and we were hoping to get it replaced."

She looked at Ron when she replied. "That is something your parents will need to arrange."

Harry spoke up when Ron looked down in shame. "He's afraid of his mother's reaction. We were hoping we could contact his father and arrange something."

She gave Harry a hard look that nearly made him swallow nervously but then she nodded.

"Very well, let's see if we can reach Mr. Weasley." She went to her floo and threw in some powder and said "Department of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, Ministry of Magic."

She put her head into the flames and they only heard her side of the conversation intelligibly. "Hello, Arthur. Your children are fine but I have a request on behalf of your youngest son. It seems his wand is broken and he was hoping to arrange to get a new one."

"Certainly."

She backed out of the fire and Mr. Weasley's head appeared in the flames instead. He looked around and saw the boys looking at him. "Hello, Harry, Ron. Ron, how did you break your wand?"

"Well, err, it happened when the car hit the tree or when the tree hit us back, somewhere in there."

"And this is coming up now because…."

Ron looked embarrassed and looked at Harry briefly before answering. "Well, I've been trying to get along with it as it is but it's not really working out well. My friends think I shouldn't wait to get another one."

"I agree but the timing is rather bad. The inquiry is over but money is a little tight right now and I'd have to talk to your mother about that."

Harry felt like his heart sank as Mr. Weasley gave Ron a regretful look and Ron looked down in shame. He couldn't let this stand. "It'll be an early Christmas present from me then. I've got plenty to cover it and say – if we could include a little Christmas shopping with it, I'd really appreciate it. I haven't gotten any chance to really do that here. It would be a favour to me too." He thought the last part would make it seem less like charity. It really wasn't charity to him but he knew it wouldn't be easy to convince them of it.

From the corner of his eye he saw Ron giving him a confused look while Mr. Weasley looked surprised.  
"Are you certain, Harry?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Weasley. I'd also appreciate the chance to get some gifts as well." He couldn't believe his luck, it was working!

"In that case…. Alright, I will floo Molly that I have to work late tonight and if you can floo here, I'll take you both to Diagon Alley myself. Will that work, Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes, of course Arthur. Remember you aren't a student anymore. My name is Minerva."

"Right, Minerva. Then they can use your floo right after dinner?"

"Of course. I'll arrange everything on this end."

"Great, thanks. I'll see the two of you this evening. Until then."

Harry was elated until his head of house asked for a moment of his time while Ron waited in the hall. He turned back to her with slight trepidation. "Five points to Gryffindor for being a good friend. Well done, Mr. Potter."

He was gobsmacked once again. "Thank you, Professor."

* * *

While he waited for Mr. Ollivander to find the right wand for Ron, Harry felt a bit like a fraud. He'd gotten points for something that was more Daphne's idea than his. He resolved to get a nice Christmas gift for her to show his appreciation. He'd finally be in a position to get some gifts for all of his friends.

He'd seen a nice bracelet in a store window and gone in to buy it, although it was a little more expensive than he'd expected. He'd had to endure a suspicious look from Ron, but at least he didn't say anything. Things went more smoothly at the sweet shop where they split up. He was sure everyone was going to get candy from Ron but Harry stocked up too, including some chocolate frogs for Ron for Christmas day. He also got a large bar of Honeyduke's finest but he was unsure about whom it was for at that point. Of course, Ron insisted on going to the Quidditch supply store with an indulgent smile from his father but it paid off as they agreed to go in together on a book about the Holyhead Harpies for his sister.

* * *

Harry couldn't believe his luck. He just had to be the one who found Finch-Fletchley. He had ended up late for transfiguration, the only consolation was that Professor McGonagall already knew why he was late and motioned for him to just take his seat. He had trouble concentrating though and luckily, the professor pretended not to notice.

Later, as he was walking towards the great hall for dinner, it felt like his pocket was getting hot. He wondered what was going on until he realized that was where he was keeping the parchment from Daphne. Sure enough, there was a message to meet right after dinner. Although he had told them about the parchment the three others looked at it curiously but luckily they said nothing. He scrawled a quick agreement back then tried not to look for her when he entered to eat. He certainly didn't want to give anything away in his distraction.

Harry was almost done when Hermione pointed out that Daphne had already left. He finished quickly and headed off himself. When he entered their usual meeting room, he was surprised to see her bent over so that he couldn't see her face. When she looked up and sent the spells again he saw that her eyes were red and she looked very upset. He became nervous as he wondered if he was somehow in trouble.

She mostly pulled her stoic mask back in place as she stated, "I heard about Finch-Fletchley. What happened?"

He muttered defensively, "I found him, that's all. I had nothing to do with it."

Her eyes became a little harder. "I never said you did. Tell me what happened."

Harry swallowed nervously and then did just that. She seemed calmer when she responded. "So a window was broken? Did you see anything unusual around?"

A joke about a petrified boy and ghost came to his mind but she was still too serious and he didn't take the risk. "No, Peeves was the only other one around."

"Were they facing the same way?"

Harry had to picture it in his mind again but then he realized that they must have been. "Yes. Justin was behind Sir Nicholas. They were both facing the same way."

"So he would have seen whatever it was through the ghost?"

"I guess so. Is that important?"

"I don't know but I'm trying to get all of the facts. We'd best figure this out quickly or they might close the school. My father will **not** be happy about this."

Harry gulped, that had never occurred to him. She had a point, they had lost two students already and whatever could petrify a ghost was scarily powerful.

"Are you taking any precautions at all?"

The ferocity of her question and the glare she was giving him would have made him step back if he wasn't sitting. As it was, he leaned away from her. "What do you mean?"

"That could have been you!"

He blinked in confusion. He had rarely encountered concern for his wellbeing, that being limited to Hermione and Mrs. Weasley. It appeared that there was now a third person who would do that but neither of the other two had ever been so fierce about it. He was at a complete loss at what to say.

Daphne snapped, "There is a difference between bravery and recklessness!"

Harry was not certain why but he felt very embarrassed at that moment. He believed he had to defend himself though. "I wasn't reckless, I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time!"

"Do you honestly think there is no threat to you in this?"

"I'm not a Muggleborn…."

Daphne cut him off vehemently, " **Harry James Potter**!"

Harry recoiled so violently that he made the desk he was sitting in move. She knew his full name! He wasn't sure why but her saying his full name like that was very scary. "I'm sorry…."

Daphne closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. That eased Harry's concern a little but he was still on edge. This was not going any sort of well at all, in fact it was very pear-shaped.

Her breathing was still erratic. "This is very likely to have something to do with the Dark Lord. The same Dark Lord who wants you dead! Did you ever think about that?"

Harry felt his face burning and he certainly wasn't going to argue anymore. "I'll be careful from now on."

Her glare finally receded. "See that you do."

She might be calmer now but Harry was not about to stir things up so he kept very still. She looked at him again and her eyes seemed to soften.

"The only creatures I know of that can do this are a gorgon, cockatrice or a basilisk. Gorgons are supposed to be extinct, cockatrices are hard to breed and have been banned for hundreds of years and a basilisk, well, I don't even want to think about that. I don't know of a spell for this but if there is one, the Dark Lord would know it. Maybe it's just advanced transfiguration, I don't know and neither does my father. Whatever this is, is serious. We must all be careful but especially you, Harry."

He saw a flicker of something in her eyes at the end but wasn't sure what it was. He was just glad she was done with the shouting and the scowling. He'd rather face Snape than an angry Daphne.

"There's something odd about the choice of victims here, Potter. Both of them annoyed you before they got petrified. Either someone is trying to frame you or they are trying to protect you in some weird way. Either way, you cannot assume you are not personally involved. Got it?"

"I get it, I do."

"Good. So, have you posed for any more pictures with Lockhart?"

She was teasing him! He was very glad to work with that. "Ugh, as if I'd want to."

She didn't seem to know what to say any more than he did so he decided to satisfy his curiosity about one thing. "When is your birthday?"

"Planning on buying me a gift, Potter? It's January 9th. I expect something nice." She used a very posh voice and put her nose in the air to complete the act. They both laughed. Then he spotted a mischievous look in her eyes and held his breath.

"So, tell me about that bludger that liked you so much."

She was doing it to him again. There just seemed to be something about embarrassing stories regarding him that fascinated her. She was alternately thrilled and concerned as he described the ordeal, including the 'healing' courtesy of Lockhart. She became serious as he explained his meeting with Dobby after the fact and then his earlier encounter at his aunt and uncle's house. She was very pensive for most of the last of his recitation. She seemed relieved when he told her that Dobby had arranged the block on the portal at the train station.

"That really helps. First, you should see about having that infraction stricken. Submit your memory and they'll take it off your record, it should never have happened. I wish you had told me this sooner. If this has happened before, father should be able to find out about it. Also, I remember hearing about Dobby and he is Lucius Malfoy's personal elf. This clinches it; the Malfoys are up to something. Whatever is going on here they are up to their necks in it. My father can use this information, maybe he can do something."

Harry grinned. They were finally making progress and this agreement with Greengrass was totally worth it. She asked if he had any more that could help them and he said no. If he wasn't going to admit to the mysterious voice he heard to Dumbledore, he certainly wasn't going to mention it now.

Then he noticed that his right hand was starting to ache. He looked at it and saw nothing wrong so he refocussed on Daphne who seemed lost in thought. The pain grew more intense and started to expand up his arm and he finally realized what was going on. His magical promise was not going to let him omit possibly pertinent information. If he wanted this pain to end, he had to speak up.

"Actually, there is one thing that might help but it might have been my imagination."

He had her full attention now as she looked at him curiously. "What?"

The pain had all but disappeared so he had to follow through. "I heard a voice. Twice, actually. The first time was at the end of my detention with Lockhart. He said he didn't hear it. Then, on Halloween night, I heard it again with Ron and Hermione but they didn't hear it either."

"Where was it?"

"It seemed to come from the walls. It wasn't complete sentences it was phrases about ripping, killing, smelling blood. That sort of thing."

She seemed to be thinking furiously and he hoped her conclusion wasn't that he was mad. When he saw a look of dawning horror on her face he began to wish he were somewhere else. "Oh bloody hell!" After her exclamation, she suddenly put both hands over her mouth as she blushed and looked at him with pleading eyes. She removed her hands to speak more quietly.

"Please don't tell anyone I said that."

"I've heard that a lot from Ron. It's no big deal."

"I've been raised to be the heiress of House Greengrass. I have to control myself better than that. Please keep this to yourself."

"Sure, of course." Harry couldn't believe she was so shaken by that minor brush with profanity. He'd heard much worse than that.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I think it's a basilisk. It fits all of the facts. If seen indirectly it petrifies its victims. It's a snake so it could move through pipes or spaces in the walls of the castle. Also, you are probably the only human being here who could understand what it is saying. Harry, you were hearing a snake and everyone else would hear hissing or just noise."

He'd never put it together, he hears a voice that nobody else heard but he wasn't mad, it was just him being a Parselmouth! She spoke so quietly that he almost didn't catch what she'd said next.

"If I tell him this, he'll pull me out of Hogwarts."

Harry felt his blood drain from his face. She had a point. Why would her father or any parent at that, allow their child to remain in a school with a basilisk running loose? Well, his aunt and uncle wouldn't care; they'd cheer for the basilisk! But any normal parents would pull their child out. His heart plummeted as he realized he'd be back with his relatives sooner than planned and it might be some time before he could return. If he thought it would help, he'd start cursing so much that Daphne would see how little her outburst meant.

He saw a tear slowly running down her cheek and wished he knew what to do. At least she wasn't sobbing but he was really bad at this feelings stuff. How can you know how to comfort someone when you've had so little exposure to that? Well, he could share the feeling, which would be perfectly true as well.

"I don't want to leave Hogwarts either."

She regarded him solemnly for a moment before her eyes softened and she asked, "Those Muggles, they're don't care about you, do they?"

How did they get on this subject? The very thing he least wanted to talk about. All he could do is look down in embarrassment.

"It's not hard to figure out. How you dress when not in your Hogwarts robes, how you act. Just remember one thing: How they treat you says more about them than it does about you. I think you're a nice guy. For a Gryffindor, that is."

He looked up to see her smirking at him. He was grateful for the sentiment but even more for the humour. "And you're a pretty nice girl… for a Slytherin."

Her return smile faded. "We can't keep this to ourselves. This isn't our decision. Should we tell… Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, I reckon so. This is bigger than any one house, it affects the entire school."

"Do you know how to get there?"

"Just saw it today, after, you know… Justin."

She nodded and then spoke a little timidly. "Could you tell him?"

"Well, I could start it but I don't want to take credit for what you figured out. It wouldn't be right."

She mumbled something like 'Gryffindor chivalry' and shook her head as she looked away in thought. She looked torn so he decided to offer her something that would make her involvement less obvious.

"I have my cloak, you could wear it so nobody would see you."

She looked intrigued and then a little shy. "You'd let me wear it?"

"Sure, why not? We're friends aren't we?"

He wasn't sure why she blushed at that but her return nod made him feel warm. He officially had a new friend now and that made him feel much better. He dug it out and offered to her and she took it with a look of wonder. She stroked it and then marvelled at how it made her hand disappear.

He tried not to smirk too much as she examined it but she eventually caught him and narrowed her eyes at him. He cleared his throat and then said, "Should we get going then?"

She dropped her mock glare and nodded before sending the unlocking spell at the door and putting on the cloak. "I'll follow you."

Harry kept a slightly slower pace than usual knowing that it might take her a while to get accustomed to using the cloak. She kept up well as far as he could tell. She was quite light on her feet so he couldn't always hear her. Harry found himself in front of the intimidating stone gargoyle for the second time that day. He tried to sound confident when he gave the password, "Lemon Drop."

The gargoyle moved aside and he heard a gasp beside him when he stepped forward and took his place on the revolving stairs. He could feel her right behind him as apparently, he was not the only one who was a little intimidated. When they were out of sight of anyone who might be in the hallway, she slowly began to remove the cloak and handed it to Harry with a smile and a nod of thanks. Apparently, she had enjoyed the experience.

Before he felt ready, they were before the heavy oak door and just as he had his hand ready to knock, they heard an invitation. "Come in."

They exchanged a look before Harry opened the door and he preceded her into the room. Harry continued forward to approach the headmaster's desk while Daphne trailed behind, looking around at the circular room nervously.

Harry saw Dumbledore look behind him curiously before greeting them. "Harry, Miss Greengrass, welcome. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Harry decided to get the hardest part out of the way first. "Well, Daphne figured out what is petrifying people and well, one of the clues is something I should have told you earlier." He swallowed and watched Dumbledore's expression carefully but only saw curiosity so he decided it was safe to continue.

"I heard a voice, twice. Once was at the end of my detention with Lock… err… Professor Lockhart and again just before the message appeared in the hall. It was going on about ripping, killing and smelling blood. When nobody else heard it, I was afraid others would think I was going barmy so I kept it to myself. But Daphne reckons that it was me hearing a snake talking and nobody else would know what that was. Also, the voice was coming from a wall both times and she reckons it was in a pipe or space within the walls. Anyway, she thinks the thing attacking students is a basilisk."

Harry glanced back at Daphne and saw she was still not close to the desk and looking very apprehensive.

"Indeed? I am very impressed, Miss Greengrass. Take ten points for Slytherin." Harry saw her brighten upon hearing that. "That was one of my suspicions as well and it is supported by the recent attacks upon the roosters that Hagrid has. Do you know why that supports your theory?"

Daphne nodded before answering, "The crow of a rooster is fatal to a basilisk."

"Very good again, Miss Greengrass. That brings us to the fact that someone here is helping the basilisk since the attacks on the roosters do not appear to be by a snake plus it would be more prudent for a basilisk to avoid all contact with a rooster in the first place. You don't happen to have a theory on who that might be, do you?"

Daphne looked crestfallen and shook her head no and when Dumbledore turned his eyes to Harry, he did the same. "It seems that figuring that out will fall to the faculty then." Dumbledore's grin was so infectious that Harry nearly laughed.

Then Dumbledore indicated a stone on the corner of his desk. "I prepared a defence in case we were facing a basilisk. Mr. Potter, if you will, place that stone on the floor and tap it with your wand. Consider this a test of what I have in mind."

Harry did as he was asked and was so surprised when a crowing rooster appeared in the rock's place that he lost his balance and fell on his bum, which startled the rooster into running away from him. Harry heard a sound from Daphne's direction that sounded suspiciously like a stifled laugh and turned to look at her. When he saw her public stoic face, he gave her a mock glare to which she merely raised an eyebrow as if to ask, 'what?'

Harry turned back in time to see Dumbledore return the rooster into a stone.

"I suppose that is somewhat startling to the user. I plan to give one of those to every person who will lead a group of children. Everyone will be restricted to their common rooms unless going to class or the library. Everyone will go in groups, nobody will be allowed to be alone. Harry, can you guess why I added that restriction?"

Harry wasn't sure so he got up to give himself a few moments to think. He came up with a guess before the silence became too long. "Whoever is helping or directing the basilisk is probably working alone. If nobody is allowed out alone, they won't be able to coordinate any new attacks. Also, groups are riskier to attack, all victims had been alone."

"Very good, Harry. Ten points to Gryffindor. Do either of you have something else to suggest?"

Harry thought it was a good plan so he looked at Daphne who seemed uncomfortable with the attention. She replied, "I have a question."

"Which is?"

"Why haven't the petrified students been revived yet?"

"We are waiting for Professor Sprout's mandrakes to mature."

"But they are still young. My father's business is potions supplies and potions. He could supply either mature mandrakes or the potion itself. There's no reason to wait."

Dumbledore appeared to consider her carefully for a moment. "That is a very good point, Miss Greengrass. Have your father get in touch with Professor Snape. They can make the arrangements between them."

"Of course, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded jovially before speaking again. "Very well, I had better let you two return to your dorms then. Harry, please take that stone with you and escort Miss Greengrass to her dorm. If you hear that voice or any other indication of an attack, use it quickly and do not look for the basilisk."

"Yes, Professor." Harry went over to retrieve the stone and saw Daphne waiting for him and trying to appear calm. He knew her well enough by now to tell that she was nervous despite her act. He waited until they had left the office and were on the stairs to act on his knowledge.

He whispered, "Is something wrong?"

"My father wanted our association to remain private. If you escort me to my dorm we'll be seen."

Harry grinned at her and held out his cloak and she began to blush. "Oh, right. You can be under the cloak and others will think I'm alone." She then gave him a smirk and he wondered what was next. "I'll feel very safe with my gallant, invisible protector accompanying me." She gave him a mock curtsy and he barely stifled a guffaw.

He gestured for her to precede him and started to put on the cloak. Harry had his wand and the stone ready but the trip to her common room was uneventful until she stopped, looked around and gestured for him to stay. He realized why when she stepped closer to the wall, whispered a password he didn't catch and disappeared through a door that appeared in the wall. His return to Gryffindor tower was equally uneventful.

* * *

Daphne had great difficulty maintaining her stoic mask when she heard about Finch-Fletchley since it included Harry Potter. Especially when one version of the rumour had Harry as petrified also. She ignored the versions that had Harry as the attacker. She had forgotten to bring her parchment linked to Harry's with her so she took it after the last class and wrote to him to meet right after dinner. She was relieved to get a response while she was getting her food.

She saw him enter with his friends and tried to keep an unobtrusive eye on him, which Tracey found amusing. She gave up on trying to watch him and finished her meal so she could be alone and wait for him. When she got to the room, she finally let her feelings out and had a short cry. She was worried about what was happening, about Harry in particular but also mad at herself for being this way. This is not how her father had raised her to be and it shamed her.

She tried to keep her normal demeanour but that idiot boy was making it so hard for her with his total disregard for danger. Was it idiocy rather than bravery that made Gryffindors like they were? Once she made her point she felt bad about it though. His reaction to her anger just reaffirmed her impression of how he had been raised. Her feelings about this boy were just all over the place and it made things worse. Then she'd called him by his first name but fortunately, he didn't seem to catch on to that fact.

It took her a while to find a subject to try to get things back to normal but it led back to another clue. She was now sure that the Malfoys were behind this mess but there was obviously something she was missing as Draco's reactions to what was happening didn't match up to him controlling the situation. Could his father be controlling things from outside the school? If so, why not keep his son informed? On the other hand, since Draco was so bad at keeping a low profile, it would be smart of his father to leave him uninformed.

She was puzzling over that mystery when Harry surprised her again. Mysterious voices only he could hear would normally be a bad sign but Harry wasn't mad in her opinion and he was special in a way: could those facts combine into an answer? When she connected it to what she knew of that could petrify people, she came up with an answer that she had dreaded. Basilisk!

Now, she was not only concerned about Harry but also her future. With a basilisk loose, her father would pull her from school faster than she could raise an objection. She tried not to think about being separated from Harry too. Oh, his relatives - he'd have to go back to them! This was a disaster!

It was his attempt to comfort her, lame as it was, that brought her back from her panic. She decided to tease him and when he teased her back, it helped her think of a way that might allow them both to be able to stay.

She really didn't want to go with him to Dumbledore though. Based on her father's feelings about the man, revealing their association to him was not something she wanted to do. Only the fact that the alternative was likely to be taken home, she relented.

Then he stunned her by offering to let her use his cloak. She was entranced by the quality and effectiveness of the cloak. She felt very privileged for this opportunity and his calling her a friend nearly started the waterworks again. She had never even imagined that she could feel this way about a boy. She'd seen marriage as a family obligation, not in a romantic way so she had never really considered dating or boys. That wall was beginning to crumble now though.

When the ugly gargoyle and the immediacy of meeting Dumbledore hit her, it did not escape her notice how she had gravitated to Harry for reassurance. Her father had emphasized self-reliance for as long as she could remember and she had never sought reassurance from her father and rarely from her mother. Yet, here she was looking for it from someone she had only recently officially met.

She had tried to remain in the background but neither Harry nor Dumbledore had been inclined to allow that to happen. She was surprised when Dumbledore did not seem interested in using or manipulating her. He'd acted like a professor and after his eccentric appearance and speeches, it was not what she expected in private. Perhaps revealing themselves to the headmaster was not as bad an idea as she'd thought.

She was deeply troubled by his answer about reviving the petrified students though. He was Dumbledore! He had to be very aware of the availability of mandrake and the potion itself outside of Hogwarts. What was he playing at? She was leaning towards incompetence as a motive for deliberate delay escaped her.

Dumbledore's suggestion that Harry escort her back brought her mind back to the danger. However, it also set them up for blowing their cover and she felt like an idiot when Harry had to point out his cloak after she'd just worn it there. That was just an example of the muddled thinking that could result when she allowed her emotions to control her mind. She wasn't being a good Slytherin or heiress when she acted like that. It didn't matter if that was what she wanted or not, it was a fact.

She'd tried to make light of the fact that he was protecting her but a part of her was not letting that fact go. She tried not to think of the fact that Dumbledore's new policy would make it nearly impossible for her to meet Harry alone anymore. At least they still had the enchanted parchments.

As they got closer to her common room, she tried to prepare herself for meeting an undoubtedly curious Tracey and most of all, how to manage her father. She regretted the fact that she had to keep their password safe from a Gryffindor. She hoped he did not take it as a slight but she just didn't feel up to talking to him right then. Her emotions were still too close to the surface and it might not go well. She had never realized that she could feel so many different emotions at once. This was a totally new experience for her and she was not confident in managing it well.

She sighed as she saw Tracey brighten when her friend saw her enter their dorm. She knew that look in her eyes, she would want details. Unfortunately for Tracey, there weren't any details she'd share on the subject of Tracey's interest. She had much more serious news to give her friend.

* * *

Harry practically groaned in relief when he finally got to lie down in his bed. Neville and Ron reacted pretty much as expected but Hermione had been especially tiresome that night. She didn't seem to like it that Daphne had figured out what was attacking students and fought the idea until she heard that Dumbledore had accepted it. Then she promised to research a solution only to find out next that Dumbledore already had one. She had been quiet and distracted for the rest of his revelations so it had finally ended.

He really liked Hermione, she was normally a very good friend. However, this drive she had to figure everything out herself was annoying. It wasn't until he was contemplating this in his bed when he realized that might be what she saw as her role in their group. It was nice to have a studious friend at times but really, all he wanted was a friend. She didn't have to solve everything especially as he had learned that not all problems have a practical solution. Sometimes, you just had to live with something – like the Dursleys. He'd have to figure out a way to tell her that.


	4. End of Term

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Many thanks to Shygui for his beta skills and for making this story better. Thanks for the follows, favorites and especially reviews.

We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. – JK Rowling

The next morning, there was an all-hands meeting in the common room as McGonagall explained the new rules. There was a lot of groaning but she wouldn't give an inch. On top of that, after she left Percy made it clear he was going to enforce the new policy to the letter. He held his stone proudly and led the first and second years down for breakfast. Ron was in an especially bad mood even though Harry had told him what was coming last night. He noticed that Ginny seemed very worried, he'd have to talk to Ron about that so they could reassure her.

Harry had felt very lucky that the Scrivenshaft's catalogue not only had the self-inking quills and ink that he needed, they also had wrapping paper for the holiday season. When his package arrived that morning he knew he would be able to properly wrap his gifts. The catch now was how would he get his gift for Daphne to her? Going off alone to meet was now impossible and he felt foolish for not thinking of that last night when he could have brought it up with her.

During his history class, he had nothing better to do so he wrote to her.

 **How can we get together now? I have something to give you.**

She must have been busy as he didn't get an answer until after lunch.

 **We can meet in the library. Try to get there by 7:30.**

It wasn't very private but it would have to do. On the other hand it was also where they really met for the first time so he sort of liked that. He relayed his intentions to his friends and they all agreed they would go together. Although Harry was caught up on homework at the moment, there were some things due after break. The potions essay seemed the most intimidating so he'd work on that.

* * *

Daphne had known this would be a long day but it was beginning to look dreadful. She'd stayed up late writing to her father, suffered from some insomnia and then their head of house had to call an early all-hands meeting to tell her things she already knew. It took nearly all of her energy to appear attentive. She had decided to just survive the day and think about what to do tomorrow. She'd learned some things that Harry had to know but she just didn't feel up to it right then. She just nodded groggily when Tracey pointed out that Harry had received a package during breakfast.

It was just her luck that she noticed that the parchment linked to the one Harry had was glowing between classes. She quickly read it and pondered how to respond. She really wanted to put it off but there was an ache in her right hand whenever she decided that. It appeared her promise wasn't going to have any mercy on her so she pondered how they could meet. Their only option was the library as far as she knew. Then she remembered something her mother had told her. Maybe the library would be a better location than she had thought. She wrote back to Harry, she'd figure out the details later.

She got to the library after 7PM but before Harry as far as she could see. Tracey followed her as she approached Madam Pince at her desk. She could tell that the librarian was aware of her approach but deliberately made her wait as she pretended to read an old parchment. Daphne's patience was limited but she wouldn't get what she wanted by being surly with the old bint so she waited.

Pince finally looked at her with an indifferent gaze and said, "Yes?"

Daphne suppressed her annoyance and gave her best ice queen look in return. "Is the Slytherin study room available?"

She finally got a reaction from the librarian when her eyebrows rose in surprise. She gave Daphne a momentary annoyed look but then sighed and answered, "Yes. Do you want it for the night?"

"Yes, please."

She waited as Pince filled in a form when she suddenly asked, "Name?"

"Daphne Greengrass."

She saw a flicker of recognition in the librarian's eyes but her attitude did not improve. Later she asked, "How many tokens will you need?"

Daphne was at a loss for what she meant but didn't want to ask. Perhaps it had something to do with entering the room so she said, "Two."

The librarian slid two metal discs towards her and then proceeded to ignore Daphne's existence. Daphne took them curiously and saw the Slytherin snake symbol embossed on two metal coin-like discs. She took them and led Tracey back towards the wall and found a door appear to her that she'd never seen before. The presence of the token must be what made it visible. She smiled in satisfaction as she now knew that Harry and she would have their privacy after all.

She then led Tracey to the tables until they found two unoccupied. She made Tracey sit at the other table, much to her annoyance, and took out her linked parchment to send a message to Harry.

 **I'll be sitting at a table a few rows into the library. When you come, stay back and I will leave a token for you that will allow you into a room. Follow me after a minute.**

She eventually saw a returned message that was only a scrawled 'OK'. She really needed to help him with his penmanship. She decided to read ahead in charms while she waited. It was a little after 7:30 when Harry finally appeared in her peripheral vision. She had planned to just leave the second token and depart without even looking at him but changed her mind. That's when she saw his three friends behind him looking at her too.

Gods, no. He couldn't mean to include them too, did he? She looked at him then tried to flick a meaningful glance back at his friends in question. However, Harry just continued to smile although he'd begun to look a little uncertain. He didn't appear to understand her query but it certainly seemed that he wanted a group meeting. She suppressed a sigh and looked at her friend who looked a little forlorn as she looked back at her. This day was already a disaster, let's just complete the job and include everybody then.

She got up and signalled Tracey to come with her. She didn't look back at the Gryffindors although Tracey did. As she approached the door that had just appeared, she saw nobody nearby so at least that was going well. She entered with Tracey right behind her.

Tracey could no longer suppress her enthusiasm. "This is going to be great! We can all get to know each other."

Daphne managed to suppress giving her friend a glare. She may have the beginnings of a headache but she decided it was worthwhile to remain civil for as long as she could manage it. She was surprised by the size of the room and the table. It could seat ten people, maybe more if they were friendly. She chose a chair and her friend sat beside her. Tracey must have become aware of Daphne's mood as she waited as quietly as Daphne did.

About a minute later, the Gryffindors began filing in. At first they all gravitated to the other side of the table but then Harry suddenly kept going around and sat next to Daphne. She managed to retain her cool demeanour in spite of a poke to her side by an amused Tracey. If Tracey kept this up, they were going to have a rather stern conversation in the near future. Since nobody was speaking yet, she decided she had to be the one to handle the official greetings.

Daphne stood and began. "Welcome to the Slytherin study room. Heirs Longbottom and Potter, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, this is my friend Tracey Davis." The others exchanged greetings and Daphne dutifully shook hands with the Gryffindors as Tracey did. However, her greetings with Neville were quite different and drew a surprised look from Weasley and an astonished one from Harry.

"It is good to see you again, Heir Longbottom."

"It is good to see you too, Heiress Greengrass." As he said that he bowed over her hand as if to kiss it and didn't shake it.

She smiled before enquiring, "How is your grandmother?"

"She is well, and your parents?"

"Both well, thank you."

She finished with a shy nod to Harry who did the same. Harry reached around her to shake hands with a delighted Tracey as Daphne sat back down.

Daphne was still wondering how to begin when Granger asked a question. "Do all of the houses have a study room?"

"Yes. They are mainly used by OWL or NEWT students to study for their tests. You have to reserve them but it's still early in the year so they are usually empty." Daphne hid her amusement as Granger looked like Christmas had come early. She turned to Harry then. "I'll need to return that token when we're done." Harry immediately gave it to her with a big smile and she somewhat grudgingly returned the smile. She wasn't really angry with him but she was still feeling a little tired and overwhelmed.

Abruptly, Daphne realized that she had made a blunder. She had invited someone not included in their agreement so she resolved to not ask Harry anything. She had no idea what to say to the others but she did have things to tell Harry. Besides, she felt that she'd already given the others all of the courtesy she owed them. "Potter, I found out a lot of interesting things from my father last night and wanted to share them with you. First, he will be contacting Professor Snape sometime tomorrow to supply them with mature mandrake for the potions."

"So the petrified students will be revived soon?"

Granger was getting annoying but Daphne managed to retain her usual demeanour. "Yes, but it will probably take several days, maybe even a week or two. Mandrake isn't easy to raise and isn't a common potion ingredient." She saw Longbottom nodding along while she said that. She recalled that he was supposed to be very good at herbology.

Since nobody else interrupted, she turned to Harry again. "We also had a discussion about Voldemort." She was amused to see reactions from Tracey and Longbottom while the rest remained unaffected.

"He pointed out something I hadn't thought about. You see, Voldemort espouses the hard line pureblood viewpoint but doesn't follow it. Every pureblood has a family, unless they are disowned for some reason. He should proudly bear his family name yet he hides behind this made-up name of Voldemort. By the way, in French that means 'flight from death'. My father also finds it curious that Voldemort calls his minions 'Death Eaters'. It's as if he expects them to take on death for him or protect him from it, something like that."

"And how does your father know this?"

Weasley's tone was accusatory and Daphne struggled to suppress her anger. She'd show Harry that she can handle his friends. "He has a lot of business and political contacts. Although he prefers to avoid them, some of them are former Death Eaters. Like Malfoy, for example. You can't be involved in politics and not have to deal with Malfoy. He may have lost his seat in the Wizengamot but he can still buy a lot of support."

That got a lot of reaction from all but Longbottom and Tracey but she didn't know why. Harry was the one who clarified that for her.

"Malfoy lost his seat? I didn't know that!"

"He may have avoided Azkaban by saying he was Imperioused but it did cost him his seat. All of the Death Eaters lost their seats, LeStrange, Travers, Avery…. However, that doesn't mean there aren't supporters of his agenda still there because there are some. They just weren't marked Death Eaters."

Harry followed up with another question. "Your father is in politics?"

She was proud of her father so she was glad to answer that query. "Yes. He's the leader of the Syncretic faction of the Wizengamot." She saw confused looks on all the Gryffindors except Longbottom so she elaborated. "Some people call them 'The Greys'." She saw recognition in Weasley's eyes but he still looked a little irritated. "Basically the party supports the old ways but they are open to change and integrating Muggleborns. The Conservative faction is the one you need to watch out for."

"Anyway, the interesting thing is that Voldemort is hiding his identity despite the customs he claims to support. My father has tried to identify those cast out of their houses but there are few and none of them could be him. That means the most likely answer is that Voldemort isn't a pureblood at all and that supports his treatment of them."

Harry looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"He kills purebloods as much as he does those that aren't. He tortures his own followers when they disappoint him. Basically, he's a psychopath who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He's a danger to everyone." All of the faces around the table were solemn.

"Here's another key thing. He has claimed to his followers that he is the heir of Slytherin."

Harry's eyes got big and said, "He's back again. I wonder who he's possessing this time."

Daphne couldn't stop her smile at her thought. "If it's Lockhart, he's doing a good job of playing the ponce." There were a few chuckles and smiles around the table but the solemn atmosphere prevailed. Daphne hid her amusement that Hermione's chuckle was forced and she was blushing. Did she still fancy the berk?

Hermione seemed to recover herself and spoke up again. "It could be a student."

Daphne couldn't deny the logic so she nodded her agreement.

Harry then asked, "Is there anyone suspicious in Slytherin?"

"No but I wouldn't expect there to be." That got a frown from Weasley but she continued to finish her point. "A true Slytherin would be careful enough to not be suspicious. I've been watching the upper years as they are the most likely and they all seem normal. I have no suspects."

Granger butted in again. "Why only upper years?"

"Lower years like us have limited magical cores. We don't yet have enough power for a lot of spells even though some of us know them."

Granger looked startled. "You know upper year spells?"

"Of course. I've been studying magic since I was seven. There was an emphasis on the execution of the spells so I'm still learning theory along with everyone else. I know a lot of spells even though I can't properly power some of them."

Granger looked like someone had stolen her most precious possession while Weasley looked mutinous. It was Harry who spoke next.

"So that's how you knew the locking and privacy spells."

"Yes. I know some even better spells for that but I can't power them yet. I use what I can for now."

Hermione lamented, "I'm so far behind."

Daphne felt conflicted about that. She considered Hermione a know-it-all although she had seemed to calm down a little since last year. On the other hand, she did have a point as the two girls were not on equal footing in their education.

Harry asked, "Can you teach me some of those spells?"

That pulled a genuine smile from Daphne. "Sure, I can do that." She ignored a subtle nudge that came from Tracey.

"Did he tell you anything else?"

"No, that covers it. He is going to keep looking for information, especially anything to do with the Malfoys."

"How did he take the news?"

Daphne grimaced before replying. "Not well at all. I was so afraid he was going to pull me out of school. I had to emphasize the precautions and that I'd be careful. Only the fact that there are no Muggleborn Slytherins saved the day for me. He knows we shouldn't be targets." She saw a frown form on Weasley's face again so she added, "I also can't understand why anyone would think you were the Heir of Slytherin considering you're best friends with a Muggleborn. I can't believe how foolish some people are." She saw Weasley's expression ease. She wondered if he'd ever get over his prejudices.

"I have something for you."

Slightly startled by the change in topic, she looked down at the small gift Harry was holding out towards her. She forgot to breathe. So that is what he'd meant by 'something to give you'. She hadn't considered a gift for him yet and felt embarrassed. She could fix that though, she had time.

"Thank you. I'll have yours delivered for Christmas day."

Harry looked puzzled. "I wondered about that. How do our gifts end up by our beds like that?"

"House elves, of course."

"Like Dobby?"

"Yes, my family has an elf too but she's not as mad as Dobby sounds. We treat her better than the Malfoys treat theirs, I'm sure. They can be sent by owl for the Hogwarts elves to deliver too."

"Hogwarts has elves?!"

Daphne had to close her eyes as her head throbbed. Granger was getting on her last nerve. "Yes, who do you think prepares the food and cleans everything, including your laundry?"

Her voice had been sharper than she had intended but she stilled and blushed when she felt Harry's hand cover hers and squeeze momentarily. Her hand felt cold when he removed his. She saw Tracey giving her a smirk from the corner of her eye. Her ever-teasing friend had noticed, of course. That was just how this day was going for Daphne.

Harry saved them from the uncomfortable silence. "Well, I have an essay to work on so I reckon we ought to do some studying while we're here."

Daphne made sure to give him a small smile of thanks before she dug out her charms book and started reading. She tried to concentrate but between the shuffling of everyone getting out books and papers and her thoughts about her interactions with Harry, she was very distracted.

* * *

Hermione had gone through quite a range of emotions. She had started out curious about Daphne and she wanted to be sure she wasn't taking advantage of Harry somehow. However, seeing them together eased her fears considerably. Although Daphne kept up her 'ice queen' mask most of the time, it seemed to fail her at times as she reacted to Harry. She saw genuine smiles and even some blushes.

She had wondered if Harry might be interested in Daphne as a girlfriend but other than a brief squeeze of Daphne's hand, she saw no sign of that. He acted like a friend and so did she for the most part. There were tiny hints that Daphne might have interest in Harry as more than a friend. However, she had little to go on so far and wasn't confident of her ability to read the small signs coming from Greengrass.

The other Slytherin was easier to read. She seemed very friendly and cheerful. She also seemed to love teasing her friend. Since Harry seemed to be open to expanding his circle of friends, Hermione considered the possibility of approaching Tracey and adding a new friend for herself. However, she couldn't do that openly as she knew there could be consequences. Although the consequences probably would be more for the friendly Slytherin than herself. However, she knew one anti-Slytherin Gryffindor and he was sitting right next to her. Even now, she could see that Ron wasn't very comfortable here with the Slytherins.

The only negative moment she'd felt from them was Daphne's reaction to her finding out about the Hogwarts house elves. However, she had been louder than she should have been and she had been able to see that Daphne seemed tired and a little out of sorts. She wouldn't judge her too harshly for one moment of pique.

Her mind then went to her own holiday plans. Since they were not going to try to investigate Malfoy anymore, her resolve to stay was weakening as her mother was still encouraging her to come home. She'd have to talk to the boys later. She could tell them how to finish the potion, the remaining parts were simple. Maybe she should go home for the winter break after all.

* * *

The four of them had settled into their usual corner of the Gryffindor common room for what Harry initially thought was peaceful studying but then he noticed that Hermione of all people seemed anxious about something. If anyone could focus on her homework it was Hermione but not now. He had initially decided to wait her out but he was rethinking that as he got more curious about what was up with her. He caught her eye and she had a faint blush when she saw him. She put down her book and cleared her throat, which caught the attention of the other two boys in their group.

"I was thinking…" she looked cautiously around the group, particularly Ron. "Um, since we are not going to try to investigate Malfoy any more that maybe… I would go home for winter break instead. My mother really wants me to come and since we're not… you know…"

Harry was surprised at how reticent she was, it seemed so unlike her. However, he would never forgive himself for even accidently depriving someone of spending time with the ones they loved. Nobody knew how precious that was more than Harry. He wanted to reassure her before anyone could say anything to mess things up. "That's fine, Hermione. You should spend all the time with your family that you can. We understand, don't we Ron?"

Ron gave him a deer-in-the-headlights sort of look before nodding. "Sure, he's right."

"I'm glad you understand. If we were going to try something, of course I'd stay. It's just…."

"We get it Hermione." Harry was pleased to see that Neville was nodding enthusiastically as well.

Hermione blushed spectacularly but looked very grateful and happy as well. Ron's enthusiasm wasn't great but he seemed careful to not spoil the moment. In fact, the next moment he dived right back into his homework. That seemed to encourage the rest of them to do the same.

They spent a relatively quiet time for two hours and Harry managed to get a lot done. There were a few short conversations about a particular essay or some questions but mainly it was companionable quiet time for the group. Eventually Ron appeared to finish and got restless.

"Fancy a chess game, Harry?"

Harry didn't really want to plus he wanted to talk to Hermione privately. When he saw Neville packing up as well, an idea occurred to him. "I'm not done yet, Ron. Maybe Neville will take you on." He looked hopefully at Neville who appeared slightly startled.

Harry turned back to Ron in time to see a hint of a frown as he looked at Harry but Ron's face cleared as he turned towards Neville. "Fancy a game, Neville?"

"Um, sure."

"I have my chess set up in the dorm. We can play up there, OK?"

"Sure." Neville grabbed his study materials and headed towards the stairs with Ron right behind him.

This couldn't have gone better if he'd planned the whole thing ahead of time. He turned to Hermione to see a suspicious look on her face. "You wanted to talk to me privately, Harry?"

Bugger. That was one of the problems with having such a smart friend; she could tell what he was up to. He decided it didn't matter, they could still have their conversation.

"Yeah. I was thinking about that conversation we had when I told you about Daphne figuring out about the basilisk." He saw her face flush a little and she started to look uneasy so he decided to get to the point before she worried too much. "You're a great friend to me, Hermione."

He immediately saw her brighten, he was happy to see that he was going about this the right way.

"I just don't want you to think I'm only friends with you for your help. You can be my friend without checking my essays and you certainly don't have to have all of the answers. Nobody can do that. Even Dumbledore wasn't sure what was happening."

He saw her begin to look uneasy again but her mood seemed to improve towards the end.

Her voice was quite meek when she asked, "So you don't want my help?"

"Blimey, no! I didn't mean that at all. What I'm trying to say is that isn't why we're friends. You don't have to do it but it's nice if you do. Well, maybe not all the time." He grinned at her to soften any blow that she might find in his words. It seemed to work as she sat up straighter and she looked at him as if she were slightly impressed.

"You're a good friend for me too Harry. I understand your point now and I appreciate you telling me. I had trouble making friends in school before Hogwarts. Friends are precious to me and well, I may have tried to ensure you'd stay friends by doing everything I can to help. Maybe too much sometimes."

She blushed slightly at saying that but then continued. "I admit that I was a little worried about you spending time with Daphne and it's possible I might have been afraid of losing you as a friend. Maybe I overreacted…" She paused with a blush. "OK, I definitely overreacted. I won't do that again."

Harry grinned at her again. "Nobody's prefect and I know that definitely includes me. I'm trying to not be such a moody git anymore." He saw her getting ready to object and held up his hand to stop her. "My point is that a mistake doesn't ruin everything. We're all just human. We say we're sorry and it's all good again."

She peered at him curiously and it was Harry's turn to get a little nervous. What was she thinking?

"I think that Daphne has been good for you, Harry. You're getting more serious about things, thinking things through more. I'm glad you're doing this information exchange. You've got a new friend."

Harry couldn't stop his blush but he gladly replied. "You're right, I do. I still have good friends in you, Ron and even Neville now too. This has been a good month for me."

* * *

Ron stared at the board. He was trying to figure out things beyond his comfort zone so he took his usual path of putting in terms of one of his favourite activities: chess. First, he'd take the easiest of the three, his current opponent. Neville hadn't even been on the board for him until very recently. It might be easy to brush him off as a pawn but he already could see that wasn't true. He wasn't sure yet but Neville seemed like a Rook to him. Solid and in the background but ready to enter the fray when necessary. Neville was alright and he was fine with including him.

He'd known Hermione much longer and he hadn't wanted her on the board at all until the whole troll thing. He still didn't like to think about that as it made him feel guilty. There were some good points about the whole thinking before speaking thing but it was just so bloody difficult. He had to work on that though as he now knew there could be severe consequences. Ron didn't like consequences at all.

What was she though? He tended to think of her as the queen but that made him very uncomfortable. He wasn't the king, he was more like a knight. She was so smart that she was intimidating. He didn't really like reacting to her in that way. She was a friend and you shouldn't be intimidated by a friend.

Then there was his best mate Harry. One might think of him as the king but that didn't really fit. In chess, the king usually hid behind protectors. He wasn't especially powerful, barely more than a pawn really. That didn't fit Harry at all. Harry could be intimidating in his own way, how he could stand up to anything and sometimes he showed how much power he had. That wasn't much like a king at all.

Then there was this new interloper, Greengrass. Why doesn't that bloody snake stay where she belongs? Why does she have to steal his friend? That thought suddenly jolted him. Was that it? Was he just jealous? She couldn't be Harry's new best mate could she? I mean, she was a _**girl**_. He'd been pretty sure of her until he'd seen her for himself. There'd been no spells, no potions. She just talked and she gave some pretty good information too. He'd watched her for treachery and really not found anything. What was he supposed to do?

Bloody hell. His chess metaphors were failing him. How was he going to figure this out? He might have gotten Hermione alone and asked her some questions but now she was going to leave. He'd have the whole winter break with no way to figure this out! His attention was drawn back to the game with Neville when he made his move. Hmmmm, his pawn was in danger but he'd already considered that threat. In fact, Neville had just created an opening for him. He gazed around the board to make sure he wasn't missing something before he made his move.

* * *

It was late and Roxanne really ought to be getting ready for bed but she had too many doubts swirling in her mind to even consider sleeping. She had tried to find out where Harry had disappeared to after the death of her good friend Lily. Not only had nobody known, most of them didn't even like being asked the question. At the time, she'd had no reason to suspect Dumbledore's involvement as he was not close to the Potters, he just led the group that they were involved in that Lily was reluctant to speak about. Even now, Dumbledore being involved was just a vague suspicion, she had no proof whatsoever. Her inquiries about the will got her only the fact that it was sealed but nobody knew who had done that.

Later when her husband had taken his father's seat in the Wizengamot, she had cajoled him into trying more official channels but he'd gotten nothing but hostility for raising questions like that. Then in Daphne's first year, she'd been satisfied to hear that Harry had indeed come to attend Hogwarts but unfortunately, she'd kept her observations about the boy to herself and it wasn't until the summer break that she'd heard about his clothing, his small size and how quiet he was.

The clothing alone was mildly disappointing but perhaps there was a financial issue but given the undoubtedly large value of the Potter estate, why that would be escaped her. Did his size and quietness indicate something more sinister? She had no way of knowing as she wasn't getting much new information despite Daphne's meetings with the boy. Whether his reticence to talk meant anything troubled her and she was very afraid that it did mean things were very wrong.

Learning from Daphne that he'd supposedly been raised by Muggles made her wonder if somehow Harry had ended up with Lily's bint of a sister. Her attempts to find Petunia Evans were fruitless, partly because she was not that familiar with how the Muggle world worked but also because she was probably married and she had no idea what Petunia's married name might be.

She should have done something earlier but to this day, she still didn't know what she could have done. No owl could find him and the goblins told her nothing as she had expected but then, perhaps they knew nothing to tell. Wherever Harry had disappeared, It was well protected which was reassuring even though it was also very vexing to her. Her discussion with Daphne that summer may have finally prompted Daphne to approach the boy, she wasn't sure.

"Are you coming to bed?" She did her best to suppress her startled reaction but he caught it as he muttered, "Sorry."

She kept facing away, through the window looking into the night. "It's OK, I was just deep in thought."

Her husband came up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm wondering what I could have done earlier to find out more about Harry."

She heard him sigh before he answered, "Don't drive yourself mad by second guessing yourself. Everything we tried was a dead end. We should concentrate on now."

She turned to him as she said, "You're right." Then she gave him a hug and decided it was definitely time for bed.

* * *

The next day had been a long one and Harry had not exchanged a single word with Daphne. He missed her but they'd known each other for only a little over a month. It boggled his mind that he'd become so accustomed to her in so little time. On the other hand, he did have something he wanted to ask her anyway. He was alone in the dorm so he got out his parchment and wrote to her.

 **Do you have a minute?**

He waited for about a minute and then realized he had no idea what she might be doing. It was silly to wait around for an answer. He was beginning to wonder about going back down to the common room to see if anything had changed when he caught the glow out of the corner of his eye. She had answered!

 **Of course. Did you want to talk about something?**

 **What was that formal stuff you were doing with Neville?**

 **It's pureblood etiquette. I can teach you about that when things are less hectic.**

 **You never acted like that with anyone else I've seen.**

 **I do it all the time with some people. It depends on who I'm talking to.**

 **Are you friends with Neville?**

 **Not really. We are acquaintances. We meet at some formal functions once in a while. We never get invited to his grandmother's New Year's Eve parties. She doesn't like my family much.**

 **Do you know why?**

 **Not really. His grandmother has strong opinions about a lot of people. It might have something to do with her son.**

 **Is he in St. Mungo's with Neville's mum?**

 **You know about that now?**

 **Yes. We talked about that first picture you gave me, the one with his mum and our mums and the Marlene girl. His mum is my godmother.**

 **My mother mentioned that. All I know is that after what happened to Neville's parents, my mother and Neville's grandmother had some sort of disagreement. She was good friends with Neville's mother too.**

 **That's too bad. Why do you call him Neville now and Heir Longbottom to his face?**

There was a pause before she answered and Harry began to wonder if he'd done something wrong.

 **With friends, we don't bother with that. You'll never see Tracey and I doing that. Since Neville and I are only acquaintances and both heirs of old families we tend to be formal with each other. It's the polite thing to do in our society.**

 **You called me Heir Potter, am I like Neville then?**

 **You don't know?**

Harry sat back to ponder that. Did she really expect an answer? Suddenly, she started to write again so he leaned forward to watch what she wrote.

 **I'm sorry. I had no idea you were so ill-informed. Yes, you are the Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I knew you don't know our ways so I did not follow our etiquette with you. I meant no offense.**

Well that was silly. How could he expect something he knew nothing about?

 **None taken. I have a lot to learn and we're already friends so I have nothing to be angry about. I was just curious.**

 **I'm glad you want to learn the ways of our families. I'll be happy to help in any way I can.**

Just then, Neville entered the dorm room and they exchanged friendly nods. Harry turned back to his parchment and decided to end the conversation.

 **Someone just came into the dorm. Goodnight Heiress Greengrass.**

 **Goodnight, Heir Potter.**

Harry grinned when she drew a smiling face at the end. He put the quill and parchment into his book bag and looked over to see Neville settling down with a book.

"Daphne was telling me about that etiquette stuff you and she were doing in the library. Is there a book about that? Maybe something in the library?"

Neville got a faraway look in his eyes as he seemed to ponder that. "Not that I know of but that gives me an idea. You can expect to get a surprise from me."

"A surprise?"

"Yes, but don't expect any hints. That would ruin the surprise."

Harry snorted at his teasing. "Then I won't bother you about it, Heir Longbottom."

Neville chuckled and didn't seem inclined to say more so Harry asked his other question.

"Are they still playing?"

"Yes, Hermione is doing better against him than usual. Ron's getting pretty serious about the game."

"Ugh. I hope they don't end up arguing again."

"I don't think so. Ron seems to be more careful about what he says lately."

"Yeah, I've noticed that too. That's a good thing."

Neville nodded his agreement and then after neither had anything to say, Neville turned back to his book. Harry was still curious about why Neville's grandmother didn't like Daphne's mother but didn't feel comfortable bringing it up with Neville. It was too likely to be tied to bad memories and he really didn't want to do that to Neville. Harry decided that it was close enough to bedtime that he'd just get ready for bed.


	5. Winter Break

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks for the follows, favorites and especially reviews. Thanks again to shygui for helping to make this story better and don't forget his story 'A Fateful Walk'.

Many men have been capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing. - Alexander Pope

Harry sighed as the last students left for the train. Tracey had sent a smile their way but Daphne hadn't looked at all. Harry hated that they had to keep their friendship a secret. Their parting with Neville was easy but got a little awkward with Hermione. She did manage to get hugs out of both of them but Ron had been as red as a tomato.

Percy had remained true to his vow and was with them even though he seemed a bit impatient with them. Ginny was a silent, apathetic witness to it all as Percy had insisted on not leaving her alone. Harry really didn't know what was going on with her but he wasn't sure what to do either.

It wasn't going to be time for lunch for a couple of hours yet so they slowly made their way back up to Gryffindor tower. Harry still had one friend left as Ron was right beside him but he'd miss three of them. At least he could still communicate with one of them. He could owl Neville too but it would take time and he wasn't sure it'd be worth it.

Ron tried to talk Harry into playing chess but Harry was struggling with ennui and he just couldn't muster any interest. He sat and watched Ron talking to the twins who decided they would challenge him to a game. They kept trying to do illegal moves that were driving Ron mental. It got noisy enough that Harry trudged up the stairs to return to the dorms to escape it.

Harry entered the empty dormitory room and flopped himself down on his bed. He just didn't feel like doing anything and the castle felt so empty and almost all of his friends were gone. He practically felt abandoned, which was ridiculous. If he had a loving home to go to, he'd be on the train too. He decided he didn't want to start brooding but he didn't know what to do. Ron just wanted to play chess and he knew he'd be even worse at it than usual as he just couldn't concentrate.

He briefly considered trying to contact Daphne but she was probably busy talking with friends or something. He didn't want to bother her just because he didn't know what to do with himself. Then he considered working on his project again. He'd let that slip lately and he really did want to understand what happened when his parents died. Did Sirius Black really betray his best friend? That just seemed so wrong to Harry. He'd never betray any of his friends: Ron, Hermione, Daphne and Neville...

He was digging in his bag for his notes when he noticed a glow. He couldn't help breaking out in a big grin when he saw it was the parchment from Daphne. She wanted to communicate!

He quickly grabbed a book to write on, the parchment and the quill he'd gotten from Daphne. He looked at the parchment to see what she'd written.

 **Are you doing anything?**

 **No. It's too quiet here and I didn't want to play chess with Ron again. I was about to look for something to do.**

 **We can write to each other if you want.**

He was surprised at the speed of her answer. He hoped she hadn't been waiting too long.

 **Sure! I'd thought about contacting you but didn't want to interrupt anything.**

 **It's just Tracey and I here but I wanted to write to you so I hoped you'd be available.**

 **That's brilliant! Did you want to write about something in particular?**

There was a hesitation before she answered.

 **Not really. Was there something you wanted to talk about?**

That was odd. He got the feeling there was something she wanted to write about but she was reluctant to bring it up. He was curious about something so he'd start with that.

 **I was wondering if your parents taught you anything other than spells before Hogwarts.**

 **I learned a lot about potions and potion ingredients from both my parents but especially my father. As you may recall, that is his business and someday I'll probably take over the family business. There's something else I learned but I'm saving that as a surprise for later.**

What was it with his friends and surprises? First Neville and now Daphne. He could be patient, well he could if he had to be.

 **So how far ahead are you on spells?**

 **I know all of the spells you learn before OWLs. I know some NEWT level spells, mainly charms, jinxes, hexes and curses.**

 **Curses?**

He was a little concerned about that. Weren't they dark magic?

 **And counter-curses. It's for self-defence. As you know from personal experience, there are evil wizards and witches in the world.**

He did indeed. He thought for a moment before continuing.

 **Yes. Are you one of the top students in our year?**

 **I am the top for Slytherin but second overall. A Ravenclaw beat me out but I am trying for the top spot for this year.**

That was interesting.

 **Do you know where Hermione is in the rankings?**

 **She's 9th or 10th, I don't remember for sure.**

 **I thought she'd be higher.**

There was another pause but he wasn't worried. The delay could be any number of things.

 **Some of us have an advantage over her with what we learned beforehand. I'm sure if she keeps up her hard work that she'll do better each year until she's one of the top students. You are third in Gryffindor for your year.**

 **Really? I guess that's not bad.**

There was an even longer pause, which began to concern him.

 **You could do better.**

He supposed that was true. He had decided to be a little more proactive in figuring out his life. Taking his studies more seriously wasn't a bad idea.

 **Are you still there?**

Harry blushed, he'd made her wait too long.

 **Yes, sorry. I was thinking. You are right, I probably should try harder.**

 **Are you afraid of losing Hermione as a friend if you do better than her?**

What? Where did that come from? He thought about it for a moment but still didn't see that as an issue.

 **No. She might even like the challenge. She nags**

He paused in consternation, he should have used a different word.

 **I meant encourages me to do better.**

 **I think you accidently told the truth, Harry.**

She drew another smiling face and Harry chuckled ruefully. He hoped that didn't get back to Hermione.

 **How we do on our OWLs and NEWTs determines what we can do later in life. We have to take that seriously.**

She did have a point but Harry wasn't sure if there would be a 'later in life' for him. Voldemort wanted him dead and he had little confidence in stopping him. He couldn't tell that to Daphne though.

 **OK, I already decided to try to learn more about what is going on around me so doing better in classes too goes along with that.**

 **What are you trying to find out about? Maybe I can help.**

He'd planned to talk to her about this sooner or later. Now it looked like this was the time to do that.

 **I'm starting with what happened to my parents. Everybody seems to know more about my parents and what happened to them than I do. I also can't believe that everyone thinks I was some sort of super-baby who can defeat dark wizards. I was barely over a year old! How can I defeat a dark wizard? I haven't found much on what really happened that night as nobody seems to know. However, I did do a lot of research in the back issues of the Daily Prophet.**

He felt better for venting a little but then became concerned when there was another long pause before she responded.

 **What did you find?**

 **Not as much as I hoped. Some of the things they published I'm not sure I should believe. There's one big mystery to me though and it's about Sirius Black. Do you know about him?**

 **Yes, I know who he is.**

He felt a moment of disgruntlement. She had probably known he was the one to betray his parents and never told him. Then he thought about himself having to tell someone that about their parents. OK, maybe he wouldn't rush out to do that either.

 **I wanted to know how he could do that. Betray his best friend and his own godson (meaning me). I wanted to read about his trial. I found lots about the trial of the Death Eaters who attacked Neville's parents, that was all over the paper. There's not one word about a trial for Sirius Black. I'm not even sure there was one. How could they not have a trial?**

 **I didn't know that. You're right, that is interesting. I love mysteries, do you want my help?**

 **I'd love to have your help. What can you do?**

 **First, I'll ask my father - wait - my mother was in their year, she might know too. My father also has access to all Wizengamot records. He can find information on any trial. I'll get back to you when I find something out.**

 **That's brilliant! Thanks, Daphne!**

 **That's what friends are for.**

Harry was still in a happy daze so he didn't respond right away. He was trying to gather his wits to write something when she wrote again.

 **Can we go back to why you might not try your hardest in classes?**

Bugger. He had a feeling something he didn't want to talk about was coming up. She was a friend and a very helpful one at that. He should be able to do this.

 **That involves my relatives.**

 **How?**

There it was, she wasn't going to let this go.

 **As I told you, I live with my aunt and uncle and they have a son a few months older than me. We went to a Muggle school together. My aunt and uncle didn't like it if I did better than my cousin.**

 **Let me guess, he was lazy or an idiot?**

 **Try both. That set the bar pretty low. I didn't dare try very hard at all.**

 **They can't compare you now so you are free to do your best.**

Well, that was true. They never wanted to look at anything from Hogwarts, he could do as well as he wished.

 **What did they do to you if you did better?**

Why did she have to ask that? He groaned in frustration. He decided to be vague.

 **Being sent to bed without supper. Extra chores.**

 **Is that all?**

Was his hand starting to ache? He began to worry.

 **It wasn't all about doing better than my cousin. They'd get mad about other stuff.**

 **Like what?**

No, no, no. She was supposed to drop this! He had to write something though.

 **Accidental magic**

There was a long pause but this time it was a relief. Maybe they could move on to a new topic.

 **Did they ever hit you?**

So much for a new topic being better. Could he not answer? The ache in his hand was so faint he wasn't sure if it was his imagination or maybe just part of himself telling him to answer her. Suddenly, she wrote again.

 **Please tell me**

He couldn't take it anymore. He wrote a response.

 **Sometimes**

There was a long pause and then some frenzied writing. Even Daphne's penmanship didn't survive her rant intact.

 **If I ever see them I will make them pay!** **They made us hide and now they attack you! We cannot let this stand!**

He quickly started writing back. He couldn't just let her feel that upset.

 **They aren't worth it. Believe me, I know. They can't do that anymore. I won't let them. Don't worry about it. I can handle it.**

He waited for her response. Gradually, much calmer handwriting appeared.

 **I will drop it for your sake, not theirs. I know you can be strong, I have seen that in you. I am your friend Harry and I will help you any way I can. I promise you this.**

His vision became watery. She was making him feel so many different things that he didn't know how to act.

 **I really appreciate that. More than you can know.**

 **It's not a problem for me Harry. I like to help my friends.**

 **I'm still grateful.**

 **I have to help Tracey with something now. I'll write to you again. Take care, Harry.**

 **You take care of yourself too, Daphne.**

Harry wiped his cheeks before Ron or anyone else could come in and see him so emotional. This was so weird. He felt like he'd been put through an emotional wringer yet he somehow felt better. How was that possible?

* * *

Tracey and Daphne were alone together in a locked compartment with the shades down as per usual. If someone needed to see them, they could knock. They had stuck together and mainly avoided other people during their time at Hogwarts until the last month and a half. Then Daphne had started her mission with the Gryffindor golden boy.

Tracey was working on her winter break homework as her best friend was still busy corresponding with her boyfriend. Tracey couldn't understand why her friend denied it, it seemed pretty obvious to Tracey. She was pondering the last paragraph she'd written of her essay to decide if she needed to add anything when she heard a sniff from her friend. She absently looked over to see how she was and was startled to see her friend crying!

Daphne didn't cry, it was a point of pride for her but she was a regular hosepipe at that moment. Had that Potter boy dumped her? She didn't care what Daphne said, if he had hurt her friend, Tracey would make him pay.

She wasted a second looking at the blank parchment on Daphne's lap. Of course she didn't see anything and that had been a misspent effort. She wasn't sure a hug was the best idea so she decided to see if her friend was able to talk.

"Daphne? What happened?"

Daphne just shook her head and continued to cry. Tracey couldn't just do nothing.

"Did he hurt you?"

That got her attention as Daphne's head snapped up and turned towards her. She looked entirely unlike her usual stoic self, her eyes and nose were red, her cheeks still had tears rolling down them but her expression looked surprised rather than sad.

"What made you think that?"

"Well..." Tracey really wasn't sure what to say and gestured towards the blank parchment.

Daphne huffed before responding. "He didn't hurt me. I just... he... I can't tell you."

Oh. It was that secrecy thing between them again. This was really leaving Tracey out in the cold and she briefly wondered about talking to Potter to convince him to add her into their little promise thing. Daphne would probably not allow that though as this was rather obviously a House of Greengrass matter and even best friends can't interfere with such issues.

She regarded her friend as she looked back at her and just decided to open her arms and let Daphne decide if she needed a hug. She did. And she returned it with a **VERY** strong hug of her own. Ouch. Whatever this was, it was pretty serious. The catch is, how do you talk about something she can't talk about? What was a friend to do?

"I know you can't tell me anything but... Did you learn something sad about Harry?"

Her friend merely nodded her head and remained silent.

"I know how good of a friend you can be from personal experience. I know you'll find a way to help him. It's what you do."

That just made Daphne cry again. Tracey suppressed a sigh, this wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

Roxanne was waiting for the train with Mrs. Davis. Years ago, they hadn't spent much time in the same circles but became friends when their daughters became such good friends. They had chatted for a bit but were now focussed on where the train was about to appear. It took a while for the train to come to a complete stop and for students to begin to emerge. Her eyes flicked from car to car wondering where Daphne would appear.

She finally spotted her and was about to wave when her hand froze in mid-air. Something was wrong. Daphne was very solemn and she and Tracey had their arms around each other. Daphne had never acted like this before when returning from Hogwarts. Her gaze drifted to Mrs. Davis and she saw her looking at them curiously too.

Their daughters saw them and began approaching them with more speed. They split just before getting there and Roxanne noticed Tracey smiling at her mother although it might not be quite as cheery as normal. Daphne's face was completely stoic and she just stopped in front of her and said simply "Mother".

Her husband had told her vaguely of some concerns about what was happening at Hogwarts and that he was looking into it but this made it obvious that something very serious was going on. However, except for her concerns about Harry Potter, her daughter's letters to her had been normal. Had she missed signs of Daphne being forced to keep secrets from her? Could this involve Harry somehow? She was now very alarmed but knew she'd learn nothing in a public place.

They normally Apparated so their floo could be fully secure from public access. She decided to Apparate immediately and forgo their normal procedure of going to a private corner before leaving. She held out her arm and Daphne immediately took it with a strong grip. They disappeared with a crack.

Her misgivings were only reinforced when Daphne maintained her firm grip as they walked to the gates and entered the grounds around their home. She couldn't wait any longer. "What's wrong?"

"I… I can't tell you."

That was it! She wasn't going to stand for this! She was going to have words with her husband, he should have known not to keep her uninformed about something to do with her own daughter. There would be hell to pay!

They entered the house and she saw Astoria rise with a smile in the front parlour. However, now was not the time for greetings. She gave her a stern stare and an emphatic negative shake of her head and Astoria froze in place with a look of surprise. As they continued past, she knew she'd have to go back and explain things to her. What she'd say was a mystery to her though as she had no idea what was going on.

They proceeded into Daphne's bedroom before Daphne finally released her grip on her mother's arm. "Daphne, the moment your father gets home, you, he and I are going to have a meeting."

Daphne nodded assent and then Roxanne pulled her into a hug that was quickly returned. She muttered, "I love you, Daphne."

She was gratified to get a quick response. "I love you too, Mum."

That told her that Daphne was still upset. She normally called her 'Mother' no matter what. They broke their hug and Daphne stood stiffly as if waiting. Roxanne decided to give her privacy and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Harry had given in on a game of chess just to keep the peace. As usual, he wasn't faring very well and most of his pieces were already glaring at him. He suddenly felt the parchment get warm in his pocket. He'd been expecting something after their previous correspondence. He'd kept his quill with him so he took out the parchment to see what she'd written.

 **Can we add my mother to our promise? It's important! I have to tell her** _ **something**_ **.**

That was unexpected. However, her mother had been a friend of his mother's so he had no real objection. However, before he could respond, she added another line.

 **Please**

He hurried to give his response.

 **Yes, of course. I have no problem with that. You can tell her whatever you want to.**

 **Thank you! You won't regret this!**

He couldn't think of anything to write back to her so he waited to see if she had more to say. He was brought back to his surroundings when Ron impatiently cleared his throat.

Right, it was his move. He'd been debating between two moves so he decided to move his knight. From the look in Ron's eyes, that was a mistake. He should have moved the bishop then. Damn.

* * *

Cyrus Greengrass was very glad that it was time to go home. One of his suppliers missed his deadline and he'd not only had to deal with the supplier, he'd also had to deal with some of his customers who were going to be disappointed. Thank the gods that the mandrake wasn't involved in that mess. He certainly didn't need to deal with that git Snape on a day like this on top of everything else.

He stepped through his private floo and into his home and his sigh of relief died in his throat. Both his wife and his eldest daughter were waiting for him. His daughter merely had a serious expression, it was his wife who caused him to stop in his tracks. That was her I'm-going-to-hex-you look.

What had Daphne told her? His eyes flicked to his daughter but her expression gave nothing away. A lot of what they knew about the events at Hogwarts were covered under the agreement between them and the Potter heir. However, Roxanne obviously knew enough now to be angry, no, make that furious. He'd been too proud to ask for a concession regarding confidentiality from the Potter heir when he realized that things were much more out of control than he'd ever imagined. He'd tried to walk the fine line between the promise and what his wife should know. He was now about to pay for his foolishness.

Daphne spoke up, "I got Harry's agreement that we can tell her everything." Roxanne gave her a surprised look.

Cyrus wasn't sure if he should leave as quickly as he could or have a serious talk with his daughter. He wanted to flee because Roxanne was that angry without knowing everything yet. That was very, very bad – for him. On the other hand, Daphne had just referred to the Potter heir by his first name after consistently referring to him as 'Potter' in all of their communications. Was she hiding something from him about their relationship? He was in no position to castigate Daphne though. He'd be very lucky to make it through the rest of this day unhexed.

* * *

Daphne sighed as she stared out her window. She was spending most of her time in her bedroom since Astoria was being such a pest. She couldn't really blame her little sister as after the rather explosive meeting last night, she was the only one in the house who didn't know what was going on. She could understand her curiosity but she just couldn't deal with her right now. She had quite enough on her plate to deal with as it was.

At least she had gotten off her reply to Tracey through the banishing box so maybe she'd be calm. She really had to consider talking to Harry about telling Tracey a little about what was going on. It really wasn't fair to her best friend, especially since she was accustomed to Daphne being very open with her. Since the promise, that just wasn't possible anymore. She wouldn't ask for full disclosure and even if she got it, she'd keep some secrets for Harry's sake.

That hadn't been possible last night though. If there was something her mother didn't know, it was just an oversight as she'd spilled everything. Even a few nuggets that she hadn't shared with her father. She had never imagined that her mother could be so angry. Why her mother was so intent on getting Harry's uncle's full name puzzled her, what was up with that? Grilling her for all she knew about how they treated him made sense but the importance of his name puzzled her but luckily Harry had mentioned it. The fact that her mother's anger was due to her concern about Daphne and Harry made her feel good. The fact that her parents had clashed so badly made her feel guilty though. She should have seen this coming and gotten Harry's permission earlier but she hadn't, she'd been so blind.

She hadn't even seen the entire argument between her parents because as soon as she'd acknowledged that she'd shared everything she could think of, her parents continued their 'discussion' in his den after dismissing her. It had been a weird dinner for her as she ate alone, Astoria having already eaten.

Breakfast hadn't been much better as her father was there, which in itself was unusual. He had made sure to talk to both Daphne and her sister but both parents seemed strained. Even the peck of a kiss goodbye between her parents had seemed staged rather than natural. Astoria had been quietly seething when she was dismissed for lessons while her mother talked to Daphne.

Even that talk with her mother had been unusual although in this case it was in a good way. Her mother had never been so open with her and so willing to share her emotions. Most of their talk that morning was about Harry. She started by telling Daphne how pleased she was that her daughter and the son of her dead friend were now friends. Fortunately, she didn't try to insinuate anything more, unlike her friend Tracey.

She was even more passionate about helping Harry than Daphne ever expected. She had a more than willing ally and they agreed to push for Harry never ever going near his relatives ever again. It was the 'how to do that' part that they hadn't been able to nail down. Her mother had assured her that her father would cooperate in the matter. Daphne suspected that there was an 'or else' involved in there somewhere.

At one point, Daphne had been afraid that her mother would rush to Hogwarts just so she could give Harry a hug. That was so embarrassing on so many levels that Daphne was desperate to talk her out of it. Something about that had amused her mother, sometimes parents were so weird.

Neville had come up too and she'd seemed pleased about even the limited contact she had described at the library. She was even happier that he was friends with Harry and seemed to be well. Daphne began to wonder if she had underestimated how close her mother had been to their mothers. She vaguely remembered a visit to the Longbottoms at St. Mungo's. It hadn't gone well in her view, they were strangers to her and they'd had no clue about her and had acted so strangely when they weren't staring aimlessly. It had all been rather depressing and they weren't even family to her. She didn't want to imagine how Neville might feel visiting them.

She sighed once more and thought about contacting Harry yet again. She decided to wait for tonight instead. She had no idea what he might be doing and she might learn something when her father returned that night. He was now aware of their curiosity about a trial for Sirius Black. He might have a chance to find out something and if he did, she'd be very anxious to share that with Harry.

* * *

Astoria was biding her time. She knew that her mother wouldn't let her out of her lessons but she hadn't expected her to stonewall her on what was going on. She didn't even consider going to her father, if her mother wouldn't talk for some reason there was no point in going to him. Her sister couldn't hide from her forever though.

When her mother had arrived all concerned with a stony-faced Daphne, she'd feared that something had happened to Daphne. She'd already been warned about what some older boys liked to do to younger girls, especially in Slytherin. However, she'd been able to eliminate that fairly quickly. Although her sister was solemn, she wasn't wounded. Besides, father would have been furious but instead he seemed to be trying to placate their mother.

She hadn't been able to glean much from what little she'd been able to overhear. Her mother seemed to be angry about not being told about something. The other thing was that somehow, Harry Potter was involved. She'd never met him nor really heard about him other than from her mother as she didn't count the books she had, most of them gifted by her sister. She knew his mother and hers had been good friends and that her mother had some concern about the boy. However, she wasn't clear on how he related to what was going on in her family.

Clearly, Harry Potter had not assaulted her sister but he must be somehow to blame for what was going on now. Was there some contract in play between her sister and Potter? If father knew and hadn't told mother then that would explain what was going on. She just needed a little time with her sister to confirm her suspicions.

Suddenly, her patience was rewarded as Daphne was heading from her room to have dinner. She emerged from her hiding spot and went toward her sister who immediately went to her icy façade.

"What did Harry Potter do to you?"

She saw the tightening around her eyes that confirmed her guess. Harry Potter was definitely involved.

"Potter has not caused anything to happen to me. I don't know what you are talking about."

She knew her sister well and how she liked to misdirect without outright lying. Therefore Potter was not the direct cause of her family's difficulties but was still involved.

"We can't allow him to harm the family. We have to unite against threats, you know that."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Astoria."

Astoria watched her sister brush by her and continue on her way. She'd gotten what she needed for now. She would help her sister even if she didn't want her help.

* * *

About the only news Daphne had gotten was that Grandma Greengrass was arriving the next day. She liked Grandma Greengrass and there was also the possibility that she could obtain some insight on the past from her. Especially anything new about her deceased grandfather and her father's early life that might help explain her family's position regarding Voldemort. She really didn't like not knowing for certain whether there had ever been any family support for the madman who might soon threaten their world again. She still had a lot to share with Harry so she decided to get on with it.

 **Harry, are you there?**

There was a pause like she expected but it was nearing a minute and she wondered if they'd ever get in contact that evening. She let out a sigh of a relief when she saw familiar handwriting appear in response.

 **I'm here and glad to hear from you. It's still too quiet around here.**

 **I certainly can't say that about my house. We had a very tense family meeting last night.**

 **Are you in trouble?**

 **No but my father is.**

 **How did that happen?**

 **It's a long story, are you ready?**

 **Yes, tell me all you can.**

 **First, I have to give you some background. The only thing that has been in the news about what is happening is that a Muggleborn had a magical accident and is being treated. That's it. Nothing about a basilisk or the second Muggleborn or the message in the hallway. Nothing. Father couldn't tell mother much about what was going on because of our promise. I was able to tell her everything after you gave me permission and I have never in my life seen my mother so angry. Father actually looked afraid of her and I have never seen him afraid!**

 **We have no idea why the news hasn't gotten out. Think of all the students writing to the parents or even talking to them in the past day. This should be all over the place but it isn't. Father suspects Dumbledore is somehow preventing it.**

 **Wow! I wondered why parents hadn't been more concerned. I think something will happen now. What is your father going to do?**

 **Nothing yet, he's investigating. By the way, he is looking for records on Sirius Black's trial. He doesn't have any news on that yet.**

 **That's OK. I appreciate the fact that someone is trying.**

 **We'll find something for you Harry. It just might take a while. By the way, do you want to hear about a trick I played on my father?**

 **Sure! I always knew you were sneaky.**

 **The word is cunning, Potter. Not 'sneaky'.**

 **Oh! Excuse me, Heiress Greengrass, oh cunning one.**

 **I think I liked you better when you were shy.**

 **Ha ha. Just tell me the story!**

 **Fine. In all my correspondence with father, I never let on that we became friends. I did the big reveal just after I got permission from you and in front of mother. I could tell that father realized I'd kept something from him but there was nothing he could do about it! He had mother to contend with and couldn't say a word! It's not easy to get one over on father so I'm rather proud of myself.**

She wasn't even telling him everything. When he later tried to find out if they were more than friends or not, she completely stonewalled him. She'd done it mainly to get away with as much as possible. She wouldn't mention that part to Harry though. That could be embarrassing.

She then realized that he hadn't yet responded. What was taking so long?

 **Harry? Are you there?**

 **Yes.**

 **What's wrong?**

Another pause. What she'd written was gone as he'd read it but now she couldn't go back over it to see if she'd written something that he'd taken the wrong way.

 **Why did you keep our friendship from him?**

Merlin! He must think she was ashamed of him!

 **I am NOT ashamed of our friendship if that's what you're thinking. It's just that dealing with father can be difficult and sometimes it's best to wait for the proper time to tell him something. That's all. Mother apparently already knew from what I'd written to her. I guess it was kind of obvious.**

 **I guess that's OK then.**

Daphne sighed again. His feelings seemed to be hurt and that's the last thing she wanted. She had to open up.

 **Harry, I really like you and I am not ashamed of our friendship. We can't reveal it to everyone because of the trouble it would cause. That's all. Someday it won't matter anymore and people can just think what they want. I'll still be your friend whether anyone else knows it or not.**

 **I understand.**

 **I wish I could give you a hug.**

 **Me too.**

 **I miss you.**

 **I miss you too.**

Daphne was startled when a tear hit her parchment. Here comes the hosepipe again. Maybe that actually might help her for once.

 **I miss you so much that I'm starting to cry.**

 **Are you OK?**

 **Of course I'm OK. I'm writing to my friend. For years, Tracey was my only friend but now I have you too. I just miss you. We'll be back together soon.**

 **I know and until then we can write to each other every day.**

 **Agreed. Every day. Can I ask another favour? You can say no if you want, I'm not going to pressure you.**

 **What is it?**

 **Can I give Tracey a summary of things we talk about? I won't reveal any of your secrets, I swear. It's just that she's been my only friend and we were very open with each other and now I feel bad about keeping things from her and…. I'm sorry. I'm babbling.**

 **I understand. I can tell my friends whatever I want to share and you can't and that isn't fair to my friend. Yes. Go ahead and tell her whatever you feel you have to. Just, not everything.**

 **You won't regret this, Harry. I swear I will keep your secrets. You're a very good friend.**

 **I think you're a pretty good friend too.**

She wished that Harry could see her smile. It was so big that her face was starting to hurt.


	6. Winter Break Part 2

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks again for all of the favorites, follows and reviews. Also thanks again to my beta Shygui for helping to make this story better. If you want to try a different view on Haphne, go check out the stories of Dorothea Greengrass.

The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself. - Mark Caine

Harry decided that getting prepared for bed early was a good way to be ready for when Daphne contacted him. He pulled the curtains and pondered his day. He'd decided to redo his potions essay as he'd realized that he'd done the minimum necessary due to who the professor was. However, after Daphne's points on trying harder and partly due to her own focus on potions, he decided to do more than the minimum. The catch was doing that required books other than his textbooks.

Talking Percy into taking him to the library was the easy part, he was more than willing to do that. The catch had been that Ron insisted on going even though he'd resisted the idea in the first place. He'd ended up being a distraction with his fidgeting and intermittent searches for something to read. Harry hadn't glared at him as his brother had but it hadn't been easy for Harry to resist joining him. He supposed that Ron was trying to be a good mate but the execution on that was definitely lacking.

Harry brightened when the parchment glowed and Daphne's writing began to appear. He had a book under it and a quill ready so he'd be ready to answer more quickly that day.

 **Are you there?**

 **Yes. Ready and waiting. Do you have news?**

 **A little anxious are we? Do you have news?**

She drew a little smiley face next, which made Harry snicker.

 **Not much. I decided to redo my potions essay and spent some time in library. I think I did a much better job this time.**

 **That's great Harry! What did you do differently?**

 **I did the minimum required last time because, you know, Snape.**

 **I know. He's not fair to you or any Gryffindor for that matter. He's not great for us either.**

 **Really? He's your head of house, he's supposed to help you!**

 **He's also supposed to teach potions. All he does for us is maintain a library of reference books on potions for us. He hates answering questions. This year one of the first years got homesick and he didn't care. We had to take care of him ourselves.**

 **He's such a git. I don't know how he keeps his job.**

 **Rumour has it that he has embarrassing photos of Dumbledore.**

 **Seriously?**

 **No. Just kidding. What did you add to your essay?**

 **I added more references and put it in context of potion making in general. It might have been done sooner if Ron hadn't come along.**

 **What did he do?**

 **Nothing on purpose. He was just restless and didn't know what to do.**

 **Why did he come then?**

 **To be with me I guess. I wished he hadn't bothered.**

 **Is he holding you back on doing better?**

That question gave Harry pause. He wanted to say no but Ron usually fought doing more work so in a way he did.

 **Maybe.**

 **Then he isn't a good friend. Don't let him stop you. He doesn't seem to stop Granger.**

 **Ha! She wouldn't let him!**

 **Then be like her.**

 **A bossy swot?**

 **What? I thought you liked her?**

Harry had a hard time stifling his laughter.

 **I do. I was kidding too. Got you!**

 **Prat.**

 **Git.**

 **I better get to my news before this goes downhill too far. Did you have anything else before I start?**

 **No. It's your turn.**

 **Good. Grandmother Greengrass came today but I haven't had much time to talk to her. She was busy with mother and then Astoria latched on to her. I'll make sure I get a chance to talk to her tomorrow. I hope to learn more about my grandfather and some Greengrass history.**

 **Who is Astoria?**

 **I didn't tell you that I had a little sister?**

 **No, you didn't.**

 **Sorry. I have a little sister.**

 **I got that part.**

 **She's two years younger than me, she'll join us at Hogwarts next fall.**

 **Do you have any other brothers or sisters?**

 **No, just the one. Since we're both girls that makes things awkward for House Greengrass.**

 **How so?**

 **A woman is treated as a temporary "Lord". I'd be expected to pass the Greengrass name on to a son who would then become Lord Greengrass when he reached adulthood. That is one of the things that would have to be in my marriage contract. It would be even worse if I married an heir.**

 **Your family still uses contracts?**

 **We have to. There's a lot of family business involved, especially for me as heiress.**

Harry wasn't sure what to make of that. However, this was still a learning opportunity for him.

 **How is it more complicated if you marry an heir?**

 **An heir also wants to pass on his name and title. I would have to arrange for the second son to become a Greengrass.**

 **So a contract specifies the number of children?**

 **No, we can't do that. It is only provisions about a second son (or first one) if there is one.**

 **Why is an heiress only a temporary "Lord"?**

 **Because our customs are sexist.**

 **I wondered if you approved of that. I'll take that as a "no".**

 **Brilliant deduction, Harry.**

 **I was going to do a Lockhart impression but I don't want to make myself feel ill right before bedtime.**

 **That is wise.**

She drew a smiley face that forced Harry to suppress a laugh.

 **What if you don't have a son?**

 **Then it would fall to Astoria. If that failed too we have a cousin who'd be next in line. I really don't want that to happen as he's a stupid git and would ruin the family. Father has made sure we know our responsibilities to the family.**

Harry wasn't sure what to say. These were all issues that he had never considered.

 **I have some other news but neither father nor I know what to make of it.**

 **What?**

 **Sirius Black never had a trial.**

 **I suspected that. How is it possible?**

 **His imprisonment was an executive order by Minister of Magic Bagnold. She had emergency powers during the first war. However, as far as father knows that is supposed to be temporary. He still has to investigate that.**

 **I wonder if it's possible he is innocent.**

There was a pause before she replied.

 **I doubt it but I guess without a trial, we don't know for certain.**

 **How could he get a trial?**

 **I'm not sure, I'll have to ask father. Probably the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot could order one.**

 **Isn't that Dumbledore?**

 **Yes.**

 **I wonder why he hasn't.**

 **That's a good question.**

Dumbledore again. Harry was beginning to wonder how many things would lead back to that man. Given how much everyone admired him, he wasn't inclined to think ill of the man but he was beginning to wonder.

* * *

They were gathering to go down for breakfast and Harry saw Ginny standing alone so decided this might be his chance to see how she was. He observed her carefully as he came nearer and said, "Good morning, Ginny."

Her reaction was not encouraging. Her eyes got big and she took a half step away from him as she mumbled, "Good morning, Harry." She also studiously avoided looking at him so this wasn't going well at all.

"Are you enjoying winter break?"

Again, she took a half step away as she mumbled, "Well enough, thanks." He also noticed a faint blush so maybe she was just shy or maybe she had a crush like Ron thought.

"Maybe we could play gobstones or exploding snap."

Her reaction changed at that. She stiffened, took a larger step away and coolly said, "I don't think that's a good idea."

He was slightly hurt, this isn't what he'd expected at all. "Why not?"

Her voice sounded harder as she just said, "It just isn't."

They were interrupted by Percy. "All right, you lot. Let's get going down for breakfast!"

Harry swallowed his irritation at the interruption and watched Ginny go ahead to be near Percy while Ron came over beside him. Ron asked, "What was that about?"

"I was trying to see if she was alright."

"She's a girl, they get moody. Get used to it, Mate."

Harry didn't feel that it was that simple. However, if Ginny didn't want to be around him, he certainly wasn't going to force his presence on her. Maybe he'd ask Hermione about what to do when she got back. If he needed more immediate advice, he'd ask Daphne.

* * *

Ginny Weasley's life had become a nightmare in just one day. The day that McGonagall had announced the restrictions and the fact that there was probably a basilisk in the castle changed everything. Tom really had scared her with his furious reaction. There'd been troubling signs before but nothing like this. It was obvious now and she couldn't make any more excuses. Tom was dangerous and she had to get rid of him somehow.

To her frustration, the newly implemented restrictions seemed designed to make that impossible. The only places she could go were places other students went also. If she tried to hide Tom anywhere she could now get to, someone else might find him. She couldn't do that to someone else, it would be cruel beyond words.

She'd even considered throwing him out the window but that wasn't a good solution. Even if he got lost in the snow for now, somebody could find him on the grounds in spring. She already knew she couldn't burn him in the fire. It hadn't accomplished a thing and her nightmare that night had been horrible. He'd survive the winter and then who else might pay for her stupidity?

She did the only other thing she could think of. She had wrapped him in a jumper and buried him in the bottom of her trunk and tried not to think about him anymore. As if she could do that. Then fate decided to twist the knife that was already in her heart when Harry came to her that morning.

Under other circumstances, she would have welcomed his approach. Well, she would if she could avoid becoming a puddle of hero-worshiping fangirl goo. She tried to be brave but Tom's curiosity about Harry was concerning to her too. She couldn't let Harry get too close until she found a way to get rid of Tom for good. Harry's suggestion of spending time together forced her to push him away. She couldn't take the chance, she couldn't let Harry get hurt because she was an idiot. She already had enough on her conscience as it was. She must have had something to do with Colin and Justin, her nightmares told her so. It was far better for him to hate her or ignore her than for him to come into the reach of Tom.

* * *

Daphne woke suddenly in her bed. It was morning so it was probably time to get up but she still had a feeling that something was amiss. As she started to get out of bed she felt something odd down below and pulled the covers away to look at her pyjama bottoms. Gods! There was blood on her pyjamas! She quickly checked the sheets but they seemed untouched. She certainly couldn't say that for her clothing though.

She and her mother had had the discussion about this. She'd had occasional discharges at school so she knew this day would come. She must be having her first period. Wonderful. She shouldn't get dramatic about this though. She'd seen the signs in the upper year girls, she certainly wouldn't be suffering alone. It seemed a little early to her though. She was still about two weeks shy of being thirteen.

She grabbed some clothing and headed for the bathroom. Her pyjama bottoms were a mess but Mipsy wouldn't mind; their house elf liked challenges. She couldn't bear to let anyone else know about this though. Talking to her mother about this development would be bad enough. Then she remembered that Grandma Greengrass was visiting. She was yet another person she'd have to try to fool.

Ow! She had cramps too. Fantastic, literally bloody fantastic. Why her? She padded some paper inside her panties just in case. She had to hide this until she had the proper supplies to handle this. She just had to make it through breakfast before she talked to her mother.

Of course, it became obvious that her mother knew something was wrong. She gave Daphne a curious look but remained, thankfully, silent. On the plus side, her father was absent and Astoria was distracted by their grandmother. Breakfast wasn't too bad.

Her mother was quick to lend her what she needed and promised to get a supply of everything for her. It certainly made her more comfortable, especially the potion to ease her symptoms. The bad moment came when her mother made the remark that some people believed that a girl's first period happened soon after she met the love of her life. Daphne managed to control her reaction and her mother kept on talking about something else. She wasn't sure if her mother had tried to imply something by that or not.

* * *

Daphne couldn't believe her good luck. She saw her mother leaving the parlour and when she looked in, there was her grandmother, all alone. What she wanted to know was not some big secret so even if her mother re-joined them, all she needed to do is manage to continue the conversation she was about to start.

"Nana! I've been looking forward to a chance to talk to you."

"I have been anxious to talk to you too, Daphne. Come sit down." Her grandmother patted a place next to her on the couch and Daphne kept up her same smile as she approached. She was wondering what her grandmother wanted to talk about, Daphne might not be able to steer the subject of their conversation as easily as she had hoped.

"Your mother tells me you are a young woman now."

Merlin! Doesn't her mother have a filter at all? This was so embarrassing! "Ummm, yes, I guess..."

"It's a milestone in every woman's life. The monthlies may not be pleasant but mark you as a woman."

As if the only purpose of a woman was to produce an heir. Daphne kept her disgruntlement from her manner. "I suppose. I was really anxious to talk about family history."

"Oh? I'm pleased that you are interested. I'll be glad to talk to you about that. As soon as we finish discussing your young man."

Gods, no. What did her mother say to her grandmother? "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about your new friend, Harry Potter."

Daphne was pretty sure she had blushed and from the amusement in her grandmother's eyes, she had noticed. She felt a moment of panic before she realized her mother could not have revealed too many details due to the promise. Daphne had made that clear in their family meeting. For this conversation, she could work with 'friend' as after all, it was the simple truth. "Yes, it has been a surprising experience. He doesn't know anything about his heritage and I've been helping him with that."

"Yes, your mother was quite pleased that you are friends with the son of one of her friends. She's quite proud of you, you know. I'm proud of you as well. He's from a powerful family and the affiliation won't hurt in the future, will it?"

Daphne wasn't sure how to react as that could be taken two ways, based on what sort of 'affiliation' she meant. "I suppose there might be an advantage to the family but that is only a part of it. We have a real friendship."

"Of course, a real friendship is important in itself, as are other relationships."

That was the moment that Daphne realized that she would have to endure a very uncomfortable conversation before she could get to the subject of her interest. Sometimes being in a Slytherin family wasn't as easy as she would like.

* * *

Daphne was gathering her thoughts before writing to Harry. She had no intention of mentioning the highly embarrassing conversation her grandmother had started. She understood her grandmother's interest in her life but it had all become so awkward. It was also nice that she approved of their friendship but she could have done without the queries about more than that even though her grandmother signalled approval of such a thing occurring.

OK, maybe the relationships between her grandparents and parents had both started with friendships. However, that didn't mean that her first male friend had to become more than a friend, did it? The odd conversation with her father hadn't helped either.

Her grandmother had spoken to her father when he returned and then he had summoned Daphne to his study later. It had started with news of two new investigations he was starting. After that though it reminded her a little of her initial conversation with her grandmother, in a word, awkward.

Father had spoken of things in generalities but she began to wonder if he was contemplating a familial alliance with the Potters. Then she wondered if he was speaking of a marriage. It had all been vague enough so she could resist looking like a tomato but the implied approval of such a development made her feel a little warm.

She was _so_ not talking to Harry about that. She wouldn't be able to face him again. She decided that thinking in circles like this was accomplishing nothing other than wasting time. She needed to write to her friend and she was more than ready to start.

 **Are you ready?**

 **Of course. Who goes first?**

 **I'll go first this time.**

This was it, best to start with what she'd learned from her grandmother.

 **I was finally able to talk to my grandmother about family history. I learned a lot but for now I'll restrict it to what you may interested in. It seems my grandfather had been indirectly approached several times about supporting Voldemort. He managed to turn them all aside without saying the word 'no' even though that is what he meant. They probably thought he might be a supporter as the faction my father heads didn't exist then and my grandfather had some common interests with the conservative faction even though he wasn't a formal part of it. My grandfather wanted no part of becoming a Death Eater. He was also approached by Dumbledore but elected not to get involved with him either.**

 **Anyway, grandfather died of Dragon Pox just after I turned three and I don't remember him. That is when my father took over the lordship, over a year after Voldemort fell. It was a relatively peaceful time for him to take over. Father eventually chose his own course and formed the faction that he leads to this day. He divides his time between the family business and his political responsibilities.**

 **I also had a short talk with father. Father doesn't fully trust Dumbledore but he wants his side to win. The return of Voldemort would eventually mean ruin for the family. What I'm trying to say, Harry, is that although father won't want to come out formally on one side or the other, he wants your side to win. He indicated that he's willing to do things other than this investigation about Sirius Black if they are needed. You have support from the Greengrass family, not just me. Well, you might want to watch out for Astoria for a while, she blames you for the recent stress in the family. By the way, that's better now. Mother and Father are acting normally around each other again. It seems to have blown over.**

 **Do you think disclosing some information would help about Astoria?**

Daphne smiled, thinking about how open and generous Harry was. Then she pondered his suggestion, it had possibilities.

 **Perhaps later we can consider that but until next fall it won't really matter. There's no reason to rush into anything. It might help to disclose that we're friends but I'm not inclined to tell her any more than that. I'd have to swear her to secrecy first though.**

 **Anyway, I have two more things to tell you that are more interesting. Father is going to investigate if your placement with those Muggles was authorized or not. It seems your parents' will was sealed and he has no idea if their wishes were followed or not. There was no Wizengamot ruling on the matter so he finds it rather suspicious. The second thing is he finally has made progress in his investigation of the Chamber of Secrets being opened before. He thinks he has found someone who was at Hogwarts back then and wants to see what he knows. He hasn't had a chance to arrange a meeting with that man yet though.**

She paused a moment but no writing from Harry appeared. She decided to prompt him.

 **That's all I had. Do you have news?**

Now she was concerned, Harry was not responding.

 **Harry?**

 **Yes, sorry I was thinking again.**

She stifled a giggle but then she sobered as she realized that was a good thing, He was considering things more and that put a different sort of smile on her face.

 **You're right, those are both interesting subjects. Does he know who sealed the will?**

 **Not yet. I'll give you news when I know.**

There was another pause before he began again.

 **It was a very quiet day on my end. I do have one funny story though. The twins did their 'Heir of Slytherin' thing again and it had Ron and me laughing. They had to stop though because Ginny got real upset about it.**

That gave Daphne an uneasy feeling she wasn't comfortable with.

 **Does she have a crush on you?**

 **I'm not sure. This summer she acted like it but since we've gotten to Hogwarts I'm not sure anymore.**

 **When did you see her this summer?**

 **After Ron and the twins rescued me from the Dursleys.**

She narrowed her eyes at the parchment. If he thought that she'd settle for that little bit of information, he had another thing coming.

 **Why did you have to be 'rescued'?**

There was another long pause, which caused Daphne's scowl to deepen.

 **They blamed me for what happened to their big business dinner.**

 **Don't beat around the bush, Potter. What did they do to you?**

After a pause, his writing began again.

 **They locked me in my room and locked Hedwig in her cage. I got almost nothing to eat for days.**

Daphne felt her anger rise. She felt hot and wanted to hex them so badly. She took deep breaths as she tried to control her rage. She was going to share this with her mother. Those foul Muggles would never see Harry again much less touch a single hair on his head!

 **Could we talk about some spells you could teach me?**

She sighed and realized that drawing this out wasn't going to help a thing. She did want to help him with spells also so she replied.

 **Do you know about Expelliarmus?**

* * *

If Harry hadn't been concerned about drawing Ron's attention to him, he'd have pounded his head against a bedpost. He was such an idiot! He was the one who brought up the Dursleys that time! His feeling of stupidity was countered by the rest of their conversation though. He had a whole family helping him now and Daphne had given him some good tips on some spells to practice.

He sighed as he put away his things. Despite the odd awkward moment, he was truly grateful for meeting Daphne. Who would have thought that a Slytherin could have had such a positive impact on his life? He would never have dreamed of such a thing.

* * *

Harry was blasted out of his dreams by one of the worst and the absolute loudest sound he had ever heard in his life. His awakening was so sudden that he blinked in confusion and tried to figure out where he was and what the hell was going on. Ron exclaiming and falling out of bed in an attempt to get up solidified his knowledge of where he was. Now for the 'what is going on' part.

He opened the door into the hallway and squinted momentarily in the brighter light. He heard multiple stomping footsteps approaching from above and since the awful sound was coming from below, he entered the hall and began running down in front of whoever was behind him. The sound was getting worse so he covered his ears. He emerged into the common room and the twins and Ron arrived just behind him while Percy arrived a moment later. Harry looked towards the stairs to the girls' dorms but didn't see anyone.

The sound was coming from the doorway but he saw no cause for the sound. Although everyone was covering their ears, the twins were cheerfully shouting things to each other that Harry couldn't make out. Harry decided to try a finite to save whatever hearing they had left when he realized that in his haste to see what was going on, he had forgotten his wand.

He relaxed when he saw that Percy had his wand but was disappointed when the boy's attempts to silence whatever it was failed and Percy had to resume covering his ears. Harry then saw a dishevelled Ginny emerge from her side to join them in the common room.

The sound suddenly stopped and as Harry slowly lowered his hands from his ears, it was so quiet he wondered if he was deaf. The next moment, a very angry McGonagall entered the room and glared at the Gryffindors. Harry was so intimidated that he took a step back even though he was already on the other end of the common room from his irate head of house.

Her furious voice cracked across the room. "Who tried to leave the tower?!"

For a moment, Harry gaped at her then he turned back to look at his house mates. Ron looked completely baffled, Percy seemed annoyed while the twins were using their innocent looks. Ginny was as white as a sheet.

Harry turned back in time to see McGonagall glare at the twins and shout "Fred and George Weasley, you are in serious trouble!"

The twins went into incredulous denials that overlapped each other and became a rather incoherent mess. Their current distress seemed to have affected their normal twin-speak. When they wound down under her glare, Harry meekly offered his observation.

"Erm, Professor, they errr... came out behind us in the stairway. They were in their dorm just like us."

McGonagall's glare transferred to Harry and if Ron wasn't already right behind him, he would have taken another step back. He really did not like being on the receiving end of one of her glares. Her face slowly softened before she asked him, "Nobody was in the common room when you arrived?"

Harry shook his head. "No, professor."

She aimed a suspicious look at the twins who quickly threw up their hands and shook their heads no. McGonagall huffed then turned around to examine the doorway. She cast a couple of spells but didn't seem to get any helpful results. She turned back to them with a look of confusion.

"I have been sealing the door at curfew and unlocking it just before the great hall is opened for breakfast. What you heard is a caterwauling charm that goes off if the door is disturbed. If none of you tried to open the door, something else must have disturbed it."

After a moment of thought, she continued. "Perhaps it was Peeves."

She then restored some of her former glare and looked at the twins. "Let this be a warning to you. Do NOT attempt to leave this tower during the night. It will not end well for you. Understood?"

Harry said yes as he heard everyone else agree. Harry definitely didn't want to experience anything more like this ever again. Once was more than enough.

* * *

It took Harry a while to get back to sleep so he slept in a bit and saw that Ron had done the same. They prepared for the day and found Percy waiting for them in the common room. The twins arrived next and before anyone could get restless, Ginny arrived too. To Harry, she looked slightly more composed than last night but he still thought he could see some distress. Given that the events of last night had been rather alarming, he shrugged that off as normal.

When Percy started to lead them out, Harry pondered what would have happened if the basilisk was the one trying to get in. Although two of them had stones he hadn't brought his down and although Percy had his wand at least, he'd seen no trace of his stone. The whole lot of them could have been dead. Harry concluded that all of them should have stones. There weren't that many students left and Dumbledore should have no problem producing more of them.

The headmaster was not present in the great hall when they arrived so Harry began breakfast as usual. Harry saw the headmaster enter but decided to wait until Dumbledore had had a chance to settle down in his seat before approaching him. After Dumbledore's rather curious greeting, Harry began what he had planned.

"Professor, I was thinking that all of us left here should have a stone and keep it with us at all times."

"Does this have anything to do with your rude awakening last night?"

Harry felt a slight blush as he responded. "Yes. I forgot my stone and Percy was nearly the last one to the common room. If the basilisk had broken in, we'd all be dead."

"I see, a most enlightened but disturbing observation, Harry. I agree, I will have stones ready for everyone at lunch. In the meantime, be on your guard."

Harry showed him his stone and Dumbledore smiled and nodded at him. "Very good, Harry. Was there anything else?"

"No, Sir. That's all. I'll leave you to your breakfast."

Harry noticed a hostile stare from Snape but ignored him.

* * *

At lunch, McGonagall delivered stones to each of them except Harry and Percy. He noticed that the stones were rather colourful and that the one she gave Ginny was a rather bright pink. He also noticed that her reaction was different from everyone else's. Ron had seemed curious about his while the twins immediately began examining theirs with smiles and whispered comments to each other. Ginny, on the other hand, looked a bit ill and didn't even attempt to touch hers. He found that odd as he'd expected her to be reassured by having her own protection.

He didn't think more about it until they were getting up when he noticed her quickly grabbing it and then hearing what sounded like a stone bouncing on the floor. It wasn't loud compared to the commotion of all of them getting up but he was the closest to the sound and noticed. Harry paused and waited until Ginny was out of earshot as she hurried to catch up with Percy.

Ron had halted a few steps away and was looking at Harry perplexedly. "Hang on a moment, Ron. I dropped something."

He put his head between the bench and the table and was able to spot the lurid pink stone. She had deliberately dropped it and he couldn't imagine why. He had to shift over but was able to reach it and slipped it into his pocket before hurrying to catch up. Ron followed without comment.

* * *

Harry and Ron had just started discussing Quidditch on a couch in the common room when they were startled to hear a rooster crow. They looked over towards the twins who seemed delighted. Percy burst from the table where he'd been setting up for studying to come over and admonished his brothers.

"What is wrong with you two? Those are for protection, they aren't toys for your amusement!"

"Why not both…"

"One for amusement…"

"And one for protection."

One of them gestured towards the rooster now looking around curiously and the other held up his stone.

Percy groaned and then shook his head in mock despair. "You two get to clean up after him."

The twins suddenly looked at each other with curiosity. "Do conjured animals do that?"

"One way to find out."

"What can we feed him though?"

"We'll find something. A sickle says they do."

"You're on."

Harry looked at Ron as he returned the astonished look. Suddenly Ron burst out laughing. He gasped out, "Only the twins," while he was recovering.

.

* * *

Harry was ready and waiting when the parchment glowed.

 **Are you ready to start, Harry?**

 **Yes. Who goes first?**

 **You.**

 **OK, we had a weird experience last night. Something set off a caterwauling charm on the door to our tower and McGonagall couldn't figure out what it was. She was sealing our door and put the charm on it to let her know if anyone tried to leave. I reckoned we could have all been dead if it had been the basilisk breaking in. Dumbledore agreed and now we all have stones. Well, except for the twins, they figured they only needed one between them.**

 **Let me guess, you went racing down the stairs without your stone to see what it was?**

Busted.

 **I swear I won't do that again!**

 **Harry, you have to start thinking ahead a little more. Control your reactions and emotions and focus on the essentials. Don't get distracted by irrelevancies and absolutely don't focus on what your enemies want you to think about.**

 **I'll try.**

 **Let me give you an example. My favourite definition of cunning is 'the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people's weaknesses'. Everybody has weaknesses, even Voldemort. All you can do is make your weaknesses stronger or less obvious. Learn about your enemies, know them better than your friends if you can.**

 **Wow. That's a lot to take in.**

 **It's important, though.**

 **I know and I swear I'll try.**

 **Good. I'm not expecting miracles though, you are a Gryffindor.**

Harry paused, expecting a smiley face but none came.

 **Are you teasing me?**

 **What do you think?**

Harry wasn't sure but he really hoped it was teasing. He stifled a snicker when she drew the smiley face.

 **I have a stone for you when you get back.**

There was a pause before her answer.

 **Thank you, Harry. That's really thoughtful.**

He was very glad nobody could see his blush.

 **By the way, in case you are curious it seems conjured animals eat, drink and well, they do the other end too.**

 **I don't think I want to know how you found that out.**

 **Actually it was the twins, they were curious.**

 **That's all I care to know.**

It was Harry's turn to draw the smiley face.

 **Do you have any other news?**

 **I practiced the spells you told me about. I got Expelliarmus working so well that Ron won't practice with me anymore. He said he was tired of losing his wand.**

 **Well done, Harry! Anything else?**

 **Not really. I was hoping you had news.**

 **Not much. Father has an appointment to meet with the man in a couple of days. He verified that the man was a seventh year when it happened and he does know about what happened.**

 **Good. Anything else?**

 **He found out who sealed the will. It was Dumbledore.**

Dumbledore again. This was past being a coincidence and becoming a pattern.

* * *

"Harry! Presents!"

Harry jerked awake at the sound of Ron's excited voice. Ok, he was curious about his gifts too but did they really have to start so early? He briefly considered trying to go back to sleep but he then decided that it was useless. It wouldn't be easy even if it was quiet and quiet is not something you got from an enthusiastic Ron Weasley.

He yawned and stretched as he sat up and looked at Ron with a smile as he ripped through his presents excitedly. He briefly wondered about going down and looking for Percy or Ginny to share gift opening but quickly discarded that idea. Ron certainly wasn't waiting and he didn't really want to see Percy. Ginny would have been nice except he wasn't sure she would want to see him. Her recent behaviour had him rethinking the idea that she had a crush on him as it didn't seem like that to him. The twins would be busy doing something and it was probably better for him not to know what.

What was tempting was to write to Daphne but he decided to defer that. Besides, there was probably something from her in that pile of gifts he could barely see over the end of his bed. As he scooted closer, he realized this was the best haul he'd ever gotten. It still fell short of Dudley's expectations but he didn't want to be like Dudley at all. Ever.

First he found a large tin of treacle toffee from Hagrid. He peered in at them and wondered how hard they were. Then a very small envelope caught his eye. It was a toothpick and a note from his Uncle suggesting that he find somewhere else to stay for the summer too. Why did they bother sending anything? Then it occurred to him that maybe they were given a way to send a gift to him and felt obligated to send _something_. He'd have preferred that they didn't bother.

Next he discovered what might be a small book and saw that it was from Neville. Harry suspected what the book was about but there was only one way to find out so he opened it. He saw a smallish but elegantly bound leather book with gold lettering for the title "A Pureblood Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette". He nearly snorted at the pompous title but his amusement faded as he realized he had to learn about this. He decided to look up the greetings that Neville and Daphne had used, he really wanted to surprise her by doing the same thing as Neville. As he pored through the book he quickly discovered that it was much more complicated than he had imagined.

He saw that the greetings just between a male and female varied by age, status, relative status between them and even whether or not they were courting! This was starting to look more like an ordeal than a learning experience! He went through it trying to find exactly which variant they had used and decided that it was a greeting between sub-adult high status people who were equal in rank and not courting. Bloody hell.

He pondered if this was appropriate for Daphne and himself and decided that it was. He certainly wasn't courting Daphne and he felt a blush just from the thought of it. She had made it clear that Neville and he were the same rank so it seemed right to use this. How was he supposed to get the angle of the bow right though? He sighed and just decided to try his best to imitate what Neville had done.

He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard Ron ask with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, "What's that book about?"

Harry saw the remains of Ron's gifts and was amused to see that Ron was already chewing on one of the chocolate frogs he'd given him. Well, probably from him, somebody else may have given him the same treat.

Harry held up the book and Ron squinted at it momentarily before his face contorted into a look of mild disgust. "Bloody Hell, Harry. Who gave you that? That's the nonsense that Great Aunt Muriel likes. You don't want that!"

"Actually, I do. I asked Neville about how he greeted Daphne and he said he'd have a surprise for me. I'm guessing this is the surprise."

Ron grumbled unintelligibly when he bit into another of his treats. He got up and declared, "Suit yourself, Mate. We should look into getting outside after breakfast. Have some fun."

"Maybe later. I still have a lot of gifts to look through."

Ron paused on his way to the loo and looked incredulously at Harry's unopened pile of presents. He gave Harry a baffled look but just shook his head silently and went on his way.

When Harry looked down for the next gift he saw a note that he had missed in the wrappings from Neville's gift. He quickly retrieved it and almost immediately grinned when he read it.

 **Hello Harry (or should I say Heir Potter ha ha)**

 **Don't worry too much about all of the details in the book. Just remember the general forms and try to be nice to everyone and you'll be fine. Well, you don't have to be nice to Malfoy (ha ha). Gran has been going on about her New Year's party but I'm not looking forward to it. Have some fun with Ron for me, Mate. I'll be stuck with a lot of kids I barely know and usually don't even like. I wish I could have stayed with you and Ron. See you soon.**

His smile faded and he began to wonder if Neville's home life might resemble his own more than he thought. He knew first hand that relatives don't necessarily want or like you and his grandmother had looked rather formidable wearing that ghastly vulture hat. He suppressed a shudder just at the memory. He'd have to be extra nice to Neville when he got back. He wouldn't give a hint of pity though, he felt that Neville wouldn't like it any more than he did.

He really wanted something to lift his spirits next and spotted a bulging gift that must be from Mrs. Weasley. He ripped it open and sure enough, he had a new jumper. He also noticed a medium-sized separate package that turned out to be a plum cake. His mouth began to water just thinking about it but he forced himself to put it aside. He wanted something to look forward to.

He then went through a series of smaller gifts that were all candy, including one from Ginny. However, when he got some from the twins he blanched and put them in a separate pile. He wasn't sure he wanted to even touch those any more than he had to. Then he found a gift from Hermione that turned out to be a calligraphy set. Apparently she felt the same way as Daphne about his penmanship.

Next he spotted two gifts bound together in a really brilliant ribbon. It was a sparkly green that reminded him of the Slytherin colours and sure enough, they were from Daphne. Now his excitement built up quickly and he ripped open the smaller gift on top and found two more books. One was thin but larger in height and width and he blushed when he saw it was a workbook for improving penmanship. He glared at it momentarily but then decided that even if it was a gag gift, he ought to try it out. He was still embarrassed about how his writing compared to hers. The other was thicker but smaller and it had a strange title: "The Mind Arts Book 1: Occlumency". What the hell was Occlumency?

He then noticed a note sticking out of the top of the book and he pulled it out and opened it. He blushed when he read the greeting on the note in Daphne's elegant script.

 **Dear Harry,**

 **I bet you are wondering what Occlumency is. My parents taught me and also gave me a copy of this book. You will find it useful for three reasons. First, it can help you control your emotions. It might even make you less impulsive (just kidding, ha ha). Second, it can protect your mind from those that know another of the mind arts, Legilimency. Be warned that both Dumbledore and Snape are very accomplished in that art and can read your thoughts and memories if you don't protect them. If you value your privacy as much as I think you do, you will learn Occlumency as quickly as you can. I can help you if you need it too. Last, it can help you organize your mind and memories. Father claims it can give you total recall of all your memories if you do it right. I haven't gotten that far but I am trying.**

 **Again, I encourage you to become the man I believe you can be. Don't let anyone discourage you from doing your best at everything. Your enemies will take advantage of any weaknesses you don't work on. Don't let it be easy for Voldemort to win.**

 **Your friend,**

 **Daphne**

Harry felt like he was stunned. He didn't even consciously register Ron getting dressed and departing from the dorm. It wasn't so much the revelations about Legilimency, although that did concern him greatly, it was the feelings that seemed to be behind her note. She really cared and it felt like a whole new world had opened to him. He also believed every word of her last paragraph. He can't sit around waiting for Voldemort to do something, he had to prepare. He had to become this man that Daphne thought he could be. Harry carefully refolded the note and dug his photo album out of his trunk and saved it behind one of the photos. It was now part of his most precious possessions.

When he got back on the bed he realized that he hadn't even opened the larger of the gifts from Daphne and wondered what else she had in store for him. He opened it carefully as he wanted to savour this time that he was now so grateful for. He was surprised to see beautiful green cloth. It seemed to sparkle faintly in the light. He carefully extracted it and realized it was a very high quality shirt that felt unbelievably soft in his hands. He looked down into the package and saw something totally black. He then pulled out some impossibly smooth and soft pants. Together, they would not only be the finest clothes he'd ever worn, they'd be the finest that he'd ever seen in his life. Is this how she saw him? As a man who could wear such clothing and not seem like a pretender?

Suddenly, he had to see himself in these clothes and hurriedly got dressed in them. He hesitantly approached the mirror, not sure if he'd look like he belonged in such clothes. His first impression was disappointment. He was still just a skinny kid but then he took a closer look. He really did look good in these clothes. Something about this shirt seemed to make the colour of his eyes more obvious. In fact, his eyes and this shirt seemed to be the exact same colour! How had she done that? The shirt and pants fit him like they'd been tailored specifically for him. Was it some resizing charm or something? How could this be?

He stared at his reflection and tried to imagine himself in the future. Could he be that strong, that competent? Then he felt some determination fill him. Yes. No other answer was acceptable. The answer had to be **YES**!


	7. Yule

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Again, thanks to shygui for being an amazing beta and for everyone who is reading and especially anyone reviewing.

It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be. – JK Rowling

Harry barely remembered to finish the potion. He had to sneak out with his cloak (and stone, he wasn't going to be reckless, Daphne would never let him live that down). He added the lace-wings, waited until it appeared done and managed to get four vials of potion from that batch. While he was ladling it in he couldn't help but see how much it seemed like mud. They were supposed to drink this sludge? Gross. Maybe it would be worth it if they only had a plan to actually use it. At least Moaning Myrtle hadn't been around, that would have made it more problematic.

He spent the rest of the day practicing Occlumency or his writing. He took only an occasional break although he had to stop for meals too. Every time he was working on something in the dorm room he saw Scabbers staring at him and it was definitely getting a little creepy. Why was a rat interested in what he was doing?

* * *

As usual, Harry pretended to retire early so he could be ready for Daphne's nightly contact with him. He was so excited about her gifts and hoped she liked the bracelet. As nice as it has looked when he bought it, it paled in comparison to what she'd gotten him. He'd have to work harder on his next gift to her. All he had for her birthday was the large bar of Honeyduke's finest chocolate. He really hoped she at least liked chocolate. Would he ever be able to give her something as awesome as what she'd given him?

Those thoughts disappeared when the parchment finally glowed.

 **Did you like your gifts?**

 **Like them? I LOVED them!**

 **Which was your favourite?**

He hesitated and then decided to tell the truth.

 **Your note.**

The wait after his admission was nerve-wracking. Had he just made a mistake?

 **That was a sweet thing to say.**

 **It's the truth.**

There was another long pause. She seemed to like what he'd said so the wait puzzled him.

 **I liked the bracelet. It's lovely.**

Harry blushed and thought she was just being nice but didn't want to call her on it. He decided to change the subject.

 **How was your Christmas? Did you get a lot of gifts?**

There was another long pause. What was going on?

 **I hope this doesn't offend you or anything but I think the truth is important between us.**

Harry's heart sank. She hated his gift? She didn't want to be his friend anymore? He just knew this would be something awful. He kept his reaction silent. He didn't want Ron to overhear. He didn't even bother to wipe his tears away. He decided to be a Gryffindor and just get it done, whatever it was.

 **I agree. What is it?**

 **We don't celebrate Christmas.**

Wait. What? That was so unexpected that he didn't know how to respond. He waited so long that she wrote something else.

 **Are you offended?**

Offended? Why would he be offended? He may not understand but he wasn't offended.

 **No but I am a little surprised. Why not?**

 **The witch burnings were real. Very few real witches died but some did. Mostly, they killed some squibs and many fellow Muggles. Do you know who killed them? Christians. We don't celebrate Christmas.**

He felt the blood drain from his face. He had heard about that but never connected it to his experience in the magical world. This separation between the magical and Muggle worlds made more sense to him now. Of course they would have to protect themselves. He may have been raised like a Muggle but he wasn't one. He knew where his loyalties had to lie. Why did the Weasleys celebrate it then? Why did they decorate for Christmas at Hogwarts?

 **Are you still there?**

 **Yes. I was thinking again. So, do you celebrate anything during winter break?**

 **Yes, we celebrate Yule or Yuletide. It's the beginning of a new year for us and symbolizes rebirth. It begins on the Winter Solstice. Christians adopted some of our traditions, like the Yule tree.**

 **Are the trees at Hogwarts Yule trees then?**

 **Yes but Dumbledore bends some traditions so it's more familiar to Muggleborns.**

 **Are you offended by someone celebrating Christmas?**

He was thinking 'please say no, please say no'.

 **No. I was raised to respect other people's traditions. I just don't join in them.**

Harry released his breath of relief as quietly as he could.

 **Could you tell me about Yule? Does it include gifts?**

 **Yes, we do exchange gifts and I opened yours as part of our celebrations so I actually opened it a few days ago.**

He was a little disappointed.

 **You didn't tell me because you thought I might be upset?**

 **Sort of.**

 **You shouldn't have worried, I respect other traditions too. Tell me more about Yule.**

 **Gladly. I'll tell you anything you want to know. I want you to appreciate the culture you should have been born into. Did you realize that if your parents had lived, we would have known each other all our lives?**

 **I hadn't thought about it but you're right. Our mothers were friends so of course we would have known each other.**

 **There's a picture of your mother holding me as a baby.**

 **Why didn't you share that one?**

 **It's embarrassing! I was a baby!**

 **Probably a very cute baby.**

 **Don't push it, Potter.**

 **But it's fun!**

 **Not after I hex you.**

 **As if.**

 **You don't think I'd do it?**

 **Nope. We're friends and you don't hex friends.**

 **Let's go back to talking about Yule.**

 **OK.**

Harry smiled as his friend began to write again. This was the highlight of his day and was so worth the wait.

* * *

Ron couldn't understand what was going on with his friend. He didn't want to go outside, he didn't want to play chess or gobstones or anything else fun. All he did was study that weird mind arts stuff, practice magic and practice writing! What the hell kind of break was that? He was working!

Ron did understand about the Legilimency thing, he did. The thought of a slimy git like Snape poking around in his mind was nauseating. But you can't work all the time! He had to enjoy himself!

He'd had to give up on exhorting his friend into doing something fun. He was just totally wrapped up in being 'better'. He was being boring, that's what! Who needed another Percy? The problem was Ginny was still in a bad mood and when he tried to hang out with the twins, they kept trying to convince him to be their test subject for this or that. It was all bloody mental!

It was all the fault of that snake Greengrass. She'd given him those books and he'd tried to convince Harry there were compulsion charms on them but that just made Harry angry and he didn't want to get into that again. He also knew he was writing to that snake every night and right this moment in fact. Harry tried to hide it but Ron could tell. Apparently he'd been right. She had stolen his best mate. She'd done such a good job of it that he didn't even recognize him anymore.

* * *

The next morning, Harry noticed that his friend was being distant and not interacting with him as they got ready for the day. Although he had found some of what Ron said the previous day to be ridiculous, he wasn't going to throw away a friendship over a bad day. Besides, he did have something to talk to him about.

"Hey, Ron?"

Ron looked at him in surprise before responding, "Yeah?"

"Why does your family celebrate Christmas?"

Ron frowned momentarily but then responded in a teasing voice. "Harry, you know my dad. He's nuts for the Muggle stuff."

Harry had to concede that. "I've heard you mention cousins, do they celebrate Christmas too?"

"Naw, most of them celebrate Yule." He snorted in amusement and added, "Great Aunt Muriel wouldn't be caught dead celebrating Christmas."

"I see. That's interesting."

"Why?"

Harry wasn't sure what to say at first. "Daphne doesn't celebrate Christmas and she told me why."

Ron frowned for a moment but then he shrugged. "Dad doesn't talk about that much other than the story about the witch and the flame-freezing charm."

"Flame-freezing charm?"

"You never heard that one? Yeah, there was this witch long ago that thought the flames tickled after using that charm. She let herself get caught lots of times."

Harry tried to keep his face clear. Maybe that could be a funny story but people had died and he didn't think that was funny at all. However, Ron finally seemed to be in a tolerant mood so he dropped it.

* * *

Ron was very surprised when Harry started talking to him first thing that morning. He'd thought he'd lost him forever and yet there he was, acting like everything was normal. He guessed that he might have overreacted.

He thought some more about himself and Harry and realized that he'd been a git. Harry was the bloke that got him a new wand when it looked like he wouldn't be able to get one. He'd felt funny about that at first but he was grateful. He ought to show Harry that by giving him some space if he wanted it.

Yeah, that was the ticket! Ron needed to be a better friend! Harry would see that he was better for him than that snake! He'd get rid of her and Ron would be alone in his position as his best mate. Other friends like Hermione or even Neville was OK, just no more snakes. Ron felt better, he finally had a plan.

* * *

Daphne still felt happy about how things had gone with Harry the previous night. They'd teased each other, she taught him about Yule and they'd written about little stuff they'd done. She'd just felt more of a connection from writing to him than she had felt talking in person with most people. She had to admit that Harry was becoming a special friend. She was glad that it was time to contact him again.

 **Are you ready?**

 **Of course!**

She stifled a giggle.

 **Awfully anxious, aren't you?**

 **I enjoy writing to you.**

 **I enjoy it too and I have news. Father hired someone to discretely investigate Malfoy. He followed up on what you told me and talked to Mr. Borgin. It helped that Mr. Borgin doesn't like Malfoy but I'm sure some money changed hands too. Anyway, he didn't get anything really good on what they sold. It wasn't anything to get them into serious trouble, a fine at most. Here's the real news: they brought some seriously dark and powerful object into his store. Borgin has dark detectors and it registered as very dark. Unfortunately, Borgin never saw what it was.**

 **Is there any more?**

 **Not a lot. It's just that as far as we can determine, his next stop was the bookstore for that fight they had then Draco went home and Lord Malfoy went to the Ministry. However, the Ministry has dark detectors too, the man confirmed that so he didn't have it with him then. He either gave it to Draco to take home or he got rid of it while he was in Diagon Alley. Did he give anything to anyone that you saw?**

There was a pause but she didn't bother him, she knew he must be thinking.

 **No, but he did take one of Ginny's books for a minute.**

That was interesting.

 **Was that just before the fight?**

 **He took it before the fight. He returned it after the fight.**

 **Did she find anything with her books?**

 **Not that I know of. I can try and ask her.**

 **Do that. He might have slipped it in before he returned the book.**

 **Anything else?**

 **No. Father sees the man about the chamber tomorrow. I'll know more then. Do you have news?**

 **No, it was very quiet. I've been working on Occlumency and my penmanship.**

 **That's good to hear. If you need any help, I'll be glad to do whatever I can.**

 **The Occlumency or the penmanship?**

She did giggle that time.

 **Either one, Harry.**

 **Is there anything you want to talk about?**

She thought a moment and then grinned in a way that might have made Harry nervous.

 **I can teach you how to think like a Slytherin.**

 **Like that stuff you told me before?**

 **Yes but I just hit the main points, there's a lot more to it. Remember, Voldemort must have been a Slytherin and knowing how he'll tend to think can help you. Also, if he expects you to think like a Gryffindor, you can surprise him.**

 **I guess that makes sense.**

She grinned. She liked Harry but his impulsiveness could get him hurt and she couldn't allow that. This was for his own good. She gathered her thoughts to begin the lesson.

* * *

Since Ginny was spending most of her time hiding in the girls' dorms where he couldn't go, Harry wasted no time when he saw Ginny again standing alone when they gathered to go down for breakfast. He just hoped that this time went better than the last.

"Good morning, Ginny."

He saw her look furtive as she mumbled back, "Good Morning, Harry."

It definitely seemed no better but he had to try. "I was wondering if you found anything unusual with your books after your father and Lucius Malfoy fought in the bookstore."

She stiffened before her cool reply. "There was nothing. I don't know what you're talking about."

With that she left to hover near Percy and Harry didn't bother to follow. Harry pondered her reaction and wasn't sure what to make of it. He was starting to think that if anyone deserved the reputation of being an 'ice queen' it might be the youngest Weasley, not Daphne.

"Is everything OK, Harry?"

Harry looked toward Ron with a small smile and an affirmative nod. He resolved to spend as little time around Ginny as possible. He had really misjudged her.

* * *

Harry smiled when he saw the familiar handwriting appear again.

 **Are you ready?**

 **Sure. Who first?**

 **You.**

 **I don't have much news. I got nothing from Ginny. She may be after your title as 'ice queen'.**

 **I never liked that name.**

 **Sorry! I didn't know!**

 **I'm not mad. I didn't even like my first name when I was young but now I like it. Do you know the story behind it?**

 **No but now I'm curious.**

 **It's from Greek mythology. Daphne was the nymph turned into a laurel tree to avoid the attentions of Apollo. The name has been associated with the laurel tree ever since. It's an appropriate name for a green grass, right?**

Harry chuckled when she added a smiley face at the end. Then she wrote again.

 **Anything else?**

 **No, it's really boring here without you.**

 **I have a lot of news so I think you'll have a lot to think about. Father met the man who was at Hogwarts when the chamber was opened before. There was a lot of interesting information. You're friends with Hagrid, right?**

 **Yes, why?**

 **He was at Hogwarts as a student when that happened.**

 **You're kidding! I had no idea!**

 **I haven't even gotten to the strangest part. He was blamed for what happened, got expelled and was sent to Azkaban. Dumbledore managed to get him released for lack of evidence when things all died down. I thought that Hagrid was probably a squib but I guess not or he wouldn't have been a student.**

 **That is incredible! It's hard to believe! Hagrid can do some magic. There's something odd about his umbrella.**

 **Father's contact never believed it either. He said that Hagrid didn't have the sense god gave a goose but he wasn't dangerous. He thought it was a fifth year named Tom Riddle but there was never any proof. Father is trying to find out information about this Tom Riddle, he never heard of him.**

 **Anything else?**

 **Yes. He thought that whatever happened was on the second floor but they kept all of the students away so he wasn't sure exactly where. A Muggleborn Ravenclaw died and her name was Myrtle Warren.**

 **Do you mean Moaning Myrtle?**

 **Who is that?**

 **She's the ghost in the second floor girl's loo.**

 **Merlin! It must be her!**

 **That's what I was thinking. Anything else?**

 **No, that's everything I thought was interesting.**

 **I have to tell Dumbledore.**

 **Don't bother, Harry. He already knows.**

Harry felt stunned.

 **What?**

 **He was the Transfiguration professor at the time. He was there.**

Harry's anger began to rise. Dumbledore. AGAIN!

 **Then why is he keeping that information to himself? Why aren't they doing something about the loo?**

 **Your guess is as good as mine. Also, there is one thing from another source. It seems that the news is about to come out despite whatever Dumbledore is doing. Watch the Prophet, it's going to be big news.**

Harry's feelings were all over the place. He just hoped that Dumbledore got some bad press out of this. He really and truly deserved it.

 **Harry?**

 **Sorry. Thinking again. I just hope this forces Dumbledore to do something. I'm very disappointed with how he is handling things.**

 **So is my father. I'm making sure nobody brings up keeping me home. I won't put up with that.**

Briefly, Harry thought it would be safer for her to stay home. However, he wasn't going to bring it up, it would obviously lead to an argument. He decided to find out if there was anything more to discuss.

 **Is there anything else to talk about?**

 **I don't have any more news. Do you have any questions about anything?**

 **You could tell me about your family.**

 **Sure. There's actually something I should tell you about my parents that I found out from my grandmother. It seems that my father was bit more conservative in his outlook than my mother. My mother has influenced his opinion since they met. He even employed a squib to work on accounts receivable (billing). He's actually a Weasley.**

 **I didn't know they had a squib in their family.**

 **Even the Weasleys don't want to talk about a squib in the family. It's supposed to be a shame on the family and they end up in the Muggle world. Grandmother said he would have never employed a squib before he met my mother. He also eased up on Muggleborns.**

Harry was boggled by both facts. No wonder Neville had been worried about being taken for a squib. Even the Weasleys were embarrassed about having one in the family. He was a little disappointed but then nobody was perfect, right?

Then there was the fact that Daphne might have been raised as a blood purist if she'd had a different mother. It made sense that her mother accepted them since his mother, one of her friends, was a Muggleborn.

 **Harry?**

Oops. She caught him thinking again.

 **Sorry. Thinking again. I've been doing that more and more lately.**

 **That's a good thing, Harry. I'm proud of you.**

Harry blushed and decided to divert the subject.

 **Can you tell me more about your family?**

 **Sure. I guess I'll start with more about my grandmother.**

He smiled and read as his friend continued on. He had a lot to think about but he'd do that later. First, he had to enjoy his time with his friend.

* * *

Daphne sighed as she sat down on her bed and prepared to write to Harry. There was a lot of news today but he probably would know much of it. She had a few blanks to fill in though, not all of her news was published today.

 **Ready?**

 **Yes.**

 **Did you see the Daily Prophet?**

 **I saw part of it and heard a lot of the rest.**

 **Has anything happened there?**

 **Not really, Dumbledore didn't stick around long for dinner though. McGonagall looked annoyed so I stayed well away from her.**

 **That was wise. How about Snape?**

 **He looked like his usual self. Grumpy.**

 **I would have been surprised if you saw any reaction from him. He's a very good Occlumens.**

 **I can see what he thinks of me.**

 **That's because he wants you to. If there is something he wants to hide, you'll see nothing of it from him.**

 **Do you expect something to happen here? I mean, could Dumbledore get fired?**

 **I doubt it but I heard from father that Lord Malfoy wants that to happen. He heard that Lucius is campaigning hard for the other members of the board of Governors to get a new headmaster.**

 **If that is what he wants, then I want Dumbledore to stay.**

 **The news about what is really happening has hurt him but he's still Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump. He has a lot of power still. Father hears that Fudge is supporting Dumbledore, at least so far.**

 **Do you think Malfoy could convince Fudge to fire him?**

 **Fudge can't. Only the Board of Governors can do that. Most of them like Dumbledore and even though Malfoy managed to become chairman, he still only has one vote. I think Dumbledore is safe.**

Daphne hesitated on what to write next. She wasn't sure how to deliver the news.

 **Do you have any other news?**

Ready or not, it was time. She sighed and hoped he wouldn't take it badly.

 **Father finished his investigation on the legality of Sirius Black's incarceration. It's a grey area in the law and it could only be reversed if the case were reopened. Father doesn't think he could get the votes to do that. He'd have to have evidence of his innocence and without that, nobody will want to reopen the case. I'm sorry.**

She worried at the pause but then he started to write.

 **I understand. I really don't know anything, it's just hard to picture someone doing that to someone he'd been so close to. The Prophet described his cousin Bellatrix as being totally mad so maybe he was too. It would have been nice to know for sure.**

He had taken it much better than she had feared. She still felt bad on his behalf though. It was a very difficult thing to accept.

 **I understand. I do have some good news though. Father thinks he has found a way for you to read the will even though it was sealed. It's a very old law but you can't do anything until you are 13 so we have time to figure it out.**

 **I appreciate that. Thank him for me, please.**

 **I'll do that. Did anything exciting happen there?**

 **No, very boring here. However, I do have a lot of time to practice Occlumency and spells. I think I'm making progress on both.**

 **Good. Father has been helping me brush up on Legilimency. I'm not real good at it but I will be able to help you test your Occlumency shields. I can also give you advice if there's anything you are having trouble with.**

 **Good. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?**

Daphne remembered a new story that her mother had told her about his parents. At least she had a much more pleasant subject to bring up. She smiled as she began to write.

* * *

Tracey was impatient as she waited on the platform with her mother. She had insisted on waiting for Daphne and her mother had indulged her. Daphne and her mother Apparated into their usual corner and Tracey was greatly relieved to see the smile Daphne gave her when their eyes met. It was reassuring to see with her own eyes that her friend really was back to her normal self. She was also anxious to see her as Daphne had promised some information that she couldn't share via owl. Maybe she'd finally get the full story on what happened during the trip to London.

She had started towards the train with Daphne only to have her attention called back to her amused mother who reminded her to say goodbye. Tracey blushed her way through a hurried goodbye and fortunately, her mother let her go with no further teasing. She also saw Daphne getting a little revenge by tutting at her poor manners. All she could do was blush as she had been caught dead to rights.

She practically dragged an amused Daphne with her as she found an empty compartment and they both sealed it in their usual manner. They put their bags up and Tracey hurried to sit across from her friend before saying, "Tell me."

She had to endure Daphne rolling her eyes at her but she knew better than to push too much. If anything, that would make Daphne go more slowly rather than faster.

"You were right about why I cried. It wasn't just something sad about Harry, it was something terrible. He's given me permission to talk to you in generalities but I will be keeping his secrets just as I keep yours."

Tracey tried to emulate Daphne's usual stoic manner. This was important stuff and she would not risk any impression of not taking it seriously. "What can you tell me?"

Daphne's serious stare practically pinned her back to the bench. "This cannot get out to anyone."

Serious indeed. "I promise."

"Harry was placed with some Muggle relatives that are absolutely horrid to him. My mother and I are working on a way so he never goes back there. We just don't have all of the details settled yet."

Tracey felt dismay and empathy in fairly equal measure. She didn't need to hear details to know that Harry Potter was in a very bad situation. She wouldn't be this serious for anything less. "Can I help?"

She relaxed as a big smile bloomed on Daphne's face. She now knew for certain that her friend was completely back to normal. "Just keep being a friend, Tracey. You help me just by doing that."

She felt it might be time for a playful nudge. "I could be his friend too. I promise not to steal your boyfriend."

That got the scowl she expected from her friend but she just grinned back. She knew it was fake. Daphne dropped the scowl and slowly drew a parchment, book and quill out of her purse. Tracey knew what this meant. "Writing to your boyfriend again?"

That brought another scowl from Daphne but Tracey just smirked back at her.

* * *

Harry was practicing getting his shield up quickly while he was alone in the first floor boy's dorm room. He'd wanted the privacy as he practiced and thought. Their investigations had stalled due to their intent to remain undetected but he had focussed more on magical practice when Daphne had told him he could build up his core with practice just like he could build up his muscles with using them.

His other new productive use of time was having the twins try to land stinging hexes on him while he dodged or sometimes shielded. They'd really gotten into it and had gotten him a lot at first but he gradually improved and learned their tricks. His desire to practice duelling hadn't worked out as well. Although Ron did grudgingly help, he didn't try real hard and didn't challenge him at all. The twins also declined after a long duel that ended in a draw. They claimed they weren't worthy to challenge the 'Heir of Slytherin' but he got the impression they didn't enjoy it any more than Ron seemed to.

All of the other students would return late that afternoon and he couldn't wait to see Daphne. He knew they wouldn't get to really greet each other but he could greet Hermione and Neville. He briefly wondered if he could duel with Daphne but feared he would look bad. She was the one teaching him spells so he probably wouldn't fare well. He wouldn't let them stop him though, he knew the only way to improve was to keep trying. He also wanted to show her his progress with Occlumency. At least, he hoped he was starting to pick it up. It was hard for him to tell for certain.

Suddenly his pocket began to feel warm and he hurried over to the bed where he already had one of his books and the quill he'd gotten from Daphne. He put the parchment on the book and read the message.

 **We're on the train waiting to leave. What are you up to?**

 **I'm practicing my shield spell. I still can't get anyone to really duel me.**

 **Maybe you should try Lockhart.**

 **Ha ha. Very funny.**

 **You might find it entertaining.**

 **I prefer challenging.**

 **Then definitely try Flitwick. He was a duelling champion in his youth.**

Harry nearly gulped. A duelling champion? Maybe he wasn't ready for _that_ much of challenge. On the other hand, Flitwick wasn't like Snape. He'd probably only use what Harry was ready for. Maybe he should ask him.

 **I should probably talk to him.**

 **If he will help, could you ask him if I could join too?**

 **Sure. I'd like it better with a friend.**

 **Just don't expect me to be friendly during a duel. You'd go** **down** **Potter.**

Harry was afraid she'd be right but decided to bluff.

 **We'll see who goes down.**

 **Feeling brave, Potter? I'll show you.**

He chuckled when she added a smiley face. Then she wrote again.

 **Do you happen to know how to get someone to stop teasing you?**

 **I've never had a problem with teasing, only my friends do that.**

 **Yes but some friends enjoy it too much.**

 **Tracey seems like she could be fun to me.**

 **You can have her then.**

 **I know that you don't mean that, friends are too precious.**

 **OK, OK. You win. I'll keep her anyway.**

Harry didn't even try to stop his laughter.

 **Harry, could we meet in the library again tomorrow evening? I have something to say to Neville.**

 **Sure. I'll host this time. At least I will if the Gryffindor study room is available.**

 **Thanks. I appreciate it. We can finalize the details tomorrow.**

 **Sounds good. Is everything settled with Tracey?**

 **Yes, I only gave her very general information but she's satisfied. She wants to help too.**

 **Any friend of yours is OK by me.**

 **Speaking of Tracey, I think she's feeling a little neglected. I better talk to her.**

 **Sure. I'll be waiting when you arrive.**

 **Remember, we can't be obvious.**

 **I know. I'll also be meeting Neville and Hermione too, nobody will notice.**

 **I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight.**

 **Me too.**

* * *

Daphne could feel her blush as she finished writing to Harry. She looked up to see Tracey grinning at her. Fantastic. Maybe she should have kept writing to Harry, at least then she wouldn't be able to tease her.

"How is your boyfriend?"

"My _friend_ is fine. His name is Harry."

"If he's just a friend, why are you blushing?"

Daphne didn't have an answer for that and Tracey looked triumphant.

* * *

Harry had dressed in his new clothes to meet everyone returning and noticed that Ginny kept staring at him. It was a little creepy but she seemed impressed but shy. She blushed and looked away whenever he caught her looking. It just confused Harry, she kept changing her attitude towards him and he wished he could figure out what was going on.

They were waiting near the main entrance where the returning students would have to pass by them. He was very anxious to see all of his friends again and was pleased when he finally spotted Daphne. When they saw each other, his heart seemed to skip a beat. Her eyes widened and she seemed so stunned that she faltered for a moment in mid-step. Her friend Tracey found that extremely amusing and winked at Harry while Daphne seemed to be blushing and avoiding looking at him again. He wondered what that was about.

He was still puzzling over that incident and nearly got ambushed by Hermione's greeting hug as he hadn't been paying attention. He was a little surprised when he didn't feel uncomfortable about the mainly unexpected physical contact. He was really starting to like hugs. Neville was right behind her and looked impressed by Harry's new clothes. He got the feeling that he'd get a question or two from his new friend. He was relieved to see Neville looking healthy and happy. Apparently any unpleasantness that may have occurred during his visit home was out of his mind upon his return.


	8. The Chamber of Secrets

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks to Shygui for helping to make this story better and thanks for everyone reading and especially reviewing. As you can tell from the chapter title, things are about to get interesting.

Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It turned out to be Hermione who peppered him with questions about his new clothes. The Longbottom prat just enjoyed the show as Harry became somewhat embarrassed. However, it was Neville who was able to identify the cloth as Acromantula silk; Harry had had no idea what it was but Ron was very subdued upon finding out what Harry was wearing. Harry glanced at the Slytherin table a couple of times but Daphne was steadfastly staring at her dinner while Tracey was the one seeming to enjoy herself.

Harry had been so engrossed in what was going on around him that he'd missed the fact that Dumbledore was not present in the great hall. That became clear to him when the man himself entered the hall and the resulting muttering had gotten his attention. What disturbed him even more was that Lucius Malfoy had entered with him although he stayed by the doors. It was his satisfied grin that made a chill go down Harry's spine.

He looked at the Slytherin table to see Daphne staring at Lucius Malfoy and then turning to look at Draco who was proclaiming something to those around him. He had followed her gaze and when he looked at Daphne again, she was looking at him very solemnly. He just knew this was going to be bad. He turned to the front table where Dumbledore stood in his usual spot, waiting for everyone to quiet down, which they eventually did.

"I have two announcements." Dumbledore paused as a few whispers broke out but they quickly ceased. "First, our gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid will be unavoidably detained for a little while." There was a minor disturbance at the Slytherin table, where Draco looked smug. "Secondly, the Board of Governors seem to be displeased with how I have handled this situation and have seen fit to suspend me. Deputy Headmistress McGonagall will be in charge during my absence."

That got a reaction and Harry raised his voice in astonished disagreement like many others. It took a little longer for this to die down and Dumbledore even had to use his wand to create a loud cracking sound to regain everyone's attention.

"I will not _truly_ have left this school as long as there are any loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

Harry could swear that Dumbledore was looking directly at him when he said that last sentence. A feeling of foreboding came over him. Was this some sort of test for him again?

"That is all."

Dumbledore then walked back out of the great hall and Lucius Malfoy followed behind him. Harry heard Draco saying something before a general hubbub started and it was hard to hear anything anymore. The adults in his life had often let Harry down but he was now truly disgusted with whoever was on the Board of Governors. He already knew who the chairman was and his opinion of that man could not go any lower.

He suddenly noticed that his pocket was getting hot and he brought out the parchment to read it.

 **Sorry, I was wrong.**

Harry sighed, he couldn't let her blame herself.

 **Not your fault. Nobody could see this coming. We'll talk tomorrow. I should have the room by 7:30.**

Harry saw McGonagall approaching and she announced that she would still be their head of house and they could still come to her as before. When she seemed finished, Harry approached her to ask a question.

"Professor, what happened to Hagrid?"

Her lips thinned and Harry was instantly sorry he had asked the question. "They are trying to blame him for this as they did before. He is being confined in Azkaban but in the low security area away from the Dementors. It seems that Minister Fudge must be seen doing something even if it is the wrong thing. Dumbledore will get it settled. He's still the Chief Warlock."

McGonagall left abruptly and he looked at his friends who had followed him and they looked as devastated as he felt. He hoped they could answer one question. "What is a Dementor?"

Ron shuddered and said, "You don't want to know, Mate. You really don't want to know."

* * *

The news of Hagrid's arrest was in that morning's Prophet and largely eliminated the glares and whispers about Harry. Lockhart was quick to claim that he'd suspected Hagrid all along, which infuriated Harry and his friends. The other students also had the distraction of Dumbledore's suspension to occupy them but Harry had a feeling that things would come back to him eventually. They usually did but he tried not to brood. He threw himself into his resolution to do better in class and that mostly helped.

He also talked to Percy to make sure they'd head for the library right after dinner. Percy seemed to think it was his good influence that had made Harry so studious and Harry decided to let him think that. It had been part of his 'how to think like a Slytherin' lessons; if things are going your way, don't rock the boat.

He also realized if he was going to do a formal greeting with Daphne, he'd better be ready to do one with Davis as well. He was glad that he thought to ask Neville about it as he would have greeted her all wrong. The Davis family was not ancient nor even a noble house so he would not bow but she would curtsy, which he found odd but it was something he had to know.

They got there before Daphne and he got the room without a hitch although he got an odd look from Pince. He took his Gryffindor friends to the room first and then waited for Daphne after sending her a message like hers from the first time they did this. He saw Daphne looking a bit shy and Tracey looked like she was ready to bounce with excitement. He tapped the token for them before going to join the others in the room. He made sure to position himself closest to the door, next to Neville.

A minute later, they came in and Daphne was first as he hoped. She paused as he held his hand out to hold hers instead of shaking it. She then put her hand in his and looked at him curiously as he began to speak.

"It is good to see you, Heiress Greengrass." He kept his eyes on her as he bowed over her hand and saw her blush but grin widely as well.

"It is good to see you, Heir Potter. You did very well. Let me guess: you learned from Heir Longbottom?"

"Yes. Did I get it right?"

"Absolutely, but it isn't necessary between friends."

"Just proving I can do it, that's all."

Harry just revelled in the moment until he realized he was still holding her hand and Daphne was blushing and looking nervous. He quickly let go and he felt his own face beginning to heat up.

* * *

Tracey had been excited ever since the details for meeting again were settled that afternoon. By the time they got to the library that evening she felt ready to burst. She followed her friend until they finally located Harry and she was slightly disappointed to see him in Hogwarts robes again. Tracey had loved what seeing him in Daphne's gift had done to her friend but this could still be good.

As they dawdled by the table after Daphne took the token, she looked her friend over and saw she was regaining her normal stoic demeanour. However, she had also seen how easily it had fallen apart upon seeing Harry. She wasn't going to push anymore though, it was just a matter of time before Daphne would have to acknowledge the change in relationship status. It would still take time though, she knew how stubborn her friend was.

She was surprised to see Harry greet Daphne formally but then thoroughly enjoyed the effect it had on her friend, especially when he forgot to let go of her hand. He totally destroyed her 'ice queen' mask again and managed to get himself flustered as well. Tracey had also noticed that Daphne did not let go, it was Harry who did that. She had to struggle to suppress her laughter at first. She knew what Daphne wanted to do next and Harry needed a moment so she hung back to watch her friend and Longbottom.

Tracey may not be studying Occlumency as much as her friend but she could recognize its effects and Daphne had needed it to regain her control. She extended her hand, Longbottom took it and started the usual greeting.

"It is good to see you, Heiress Greengrass."

"It is good to see you, Heir Longbottom. I offer my hand in friendship, do you accept?"

Tracey focussed on Longbottom as his eyes opened wider in surprise but then he quickly relaxed and a small smile appeared, which relieved Tracey greatly. "With pleasure, milady. May I call you Daphne?"

"Of course, may I call you Neville?"

"Certainly."

"My mother has spoken to me of her friendship with your mother. She asked me to pass this on to you."

Longbottom looked a bit startled but accepted the envelope and nodded his thanks. This was very encouraging, Tracey hoped to gain some friends herself in this meeting.

Daphne then held her hand out to shake hands with Granger and said, "Hello."

"Hello. Can we be friends too?"

It was quick but Tracey had been watching her and caught it. Daphne's smile had started to morph to surprise but very quickly went back to a smile. "Yes, may I call you Hermione?"

Granger looked very enthusiastic as she replied "Of course! May I call you Daphne?"

"Yes, of course."

She offered her hand to the final Gryffindor and the good feelings came to a screeching halt. Weasley muttered what was probably a 'hello' but didn't even look at Daphne and looked disappointed. Daphne's stoic mask snapped into place as she said "Hello" and dropped his hand as quickly as courtesy allowed. Tracey tried to control her reaction, she was so angry with that git.

Tracey smiled at Harry as she approached him and offered her hand for a formal greeting. Based on his smile, she had guessed correctly.

"It is good to see you, Miss Davis."

She saw him giving her a nod as she dipped into a curtsy. "It is good to see you, Heir Potter. I offer my hand in friendship, do you accept?" She had planned a less formal offer but decided to follow Daphne's approach.

Harry's immediate, pleased smile made her feel warm. "I accept with pleasure. May I call you Tracey?"

As if she'd refuse! "Of course, may I call you Harry?"

"Certainly, Tracey."

"Thank you, Harry."

She went through the same process with Neville and gained her second new friend that day. Hermione was equally welcoming and she was three for three. The only difference with the Weasley git is that he seemed more resigned and less disappointed. No new friend there, not that she really wanted that git as a friend. Tracey was pleased to see Hermione giving the git a reproachful glare.

While they were busy with chatter about their respective winter breaks, Tracey contemplated the fact that her closed-off friend had quite the catch as a boyfriend already while she, the more open one, had yet to find her first boyfriend. How on earth had that happened? She looked at Neville speculatively. He might be on the quiet side and slightly chubby but she saw potential in him. Within their society, he would also be quite a catch for her.

However, she didn't have Daphne's status in their social order and there was no possibility of her openly associating with a Gryffindor while in school without consequences. Unfortunately, her prospects within her own house were bleak. Her lack of social status meant the boys there ignored her but she was glad to ignore those ignorant bigots back. The only possible decent boy in her year was Blaise and he showed no interest at all in girls. She had even wondered if he played for the other team.

She snapped out of her reverie when Harry asked how her break had been and she quickly gave a positive report. The tension that had existed was Daphne's business, not hers so she'd give no hint of that. She had had a very nice Yule overall so what she said was also the truth.

* * *

Daphne was grateful for a relatively peaceful interlude after their greetings. She'd had two surprises and Harry's had totally broken her focus and reserve. She'd not been certain of how to react to Granger's offer but she immediately realized that not accepting would be a blow to her friendship with Harry so she pushed aside her reservations and accepted. Ironically, Weasley's snub had helped her regroup. She was surprised that Tracey hadn't teased her but then she was busy making friends of her own. Tracey had seemed equally glad for all three new friends and she was glad for her long-time friend.

She had news to impart, not only from last night but also from an unprecedented mid-day communication from her father. She waited for her chance to speak after Hermione finished her chatter about her break.

"Harry, I have some news. The mature mandrake has been delivered today. The potion doesn't take that long, it should be ready tonight or early tomorrow. My father also had interesting news on that Tom Riddle fellow father's contact brought up. He portrayed himself as a half-blood through his mother so his father was either a Muggle or a Muggleborn."

The next one to speak shocked Daphne as Ron exclaimed, "Tom Riddle? I polished an award to him, multiple times."

Harry looked at him curiously. "Multiple times?"

Ron looked very abashed. "I kept belching slugs on it."

Harry followed up. "What did it say?"

"Just special services to the school from 1943. It didn't say why, which is good as it would have been bigger."

Daphne resumed then. "That is when the chamber was opened before. He probably got it for framing Hagrid."

She ignored muttered imprecations from Weasley to continue. "Father then asked his agent to re-contact Mr. Borgin as Riddle was reputed to have worked for them right after Hogwarts and it was true. However, he didn't stick around long as he abruptly quit in 1946 and he had not graduated Hogwarts until 1945. Father and I have wondered if he might be the one who became Voldemort. However, that leaves the period between 1946 and 1970 when Voldemort first appeared unaccounted for. There's no hint of what he might have done in between those years if it was really him."

Granger then spoke up. "He probably would have been learning dark magic. He wouldn't be ready to be a dark lord from his Hogwarts education."

That made sense to Daphne, she gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Hermione was very clever and would have made a good Slytherin if not for her Muggle heritage.

"There's more. Riddle left right after an important client of his died mysteriously. Also, two valuable artefacts of the Hogwarts founders disappeared as part of that incident. There was a locket purported to have belonged to Slytherin and a cup that allegedly belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. He might just be a thief who never reappeared. If he became Voldemort though, the question would be why did he want relics of the founders?"

The others looked equally baffled so she offered her last point. "It was also odd for him to work for Borgin and Burkes after doing so well in school. He tied records for both OWLs and NEWTs and was head boy. Then he works for a shop? That's strange as well."

She looked for Harry's reaction as he had been silent since his questioning of Ron and her heart fell when she saw he was pale and looked troubled. "What's wrong?"

He gave her a grave look and shrugged his shoulders. If he thought she'd settle for that vague response, he had another thing coming. It wasn't until she felt him squeeze her hand that she realized that she had somehow reached across the table and taken his hand without even realizing it. She pushed her sudden embarrassment away to get to the bottom of this.

"Harry, tell me. What is wrong?"

Harry gave her another gloomy look and then started talking quietly. "If this is Voldemort, he's not only better than me, he's been studying dark magic for about twice the time I've been alive. I don't have a chance."

That got her ire up. "Don't you dare say that. Don't you DARE. Everybody has weaknesses, even Voldemort. We know he's arrogant, we can use that against him. We also don't know what you are capable of yet, do we? How long have you been trying hard? You can only do what you try to do. Don't settle, Harry. Be the best you can be. You are also not alone. Have you forgotten what I said? What my father has said? YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE."

* * *

Hermione had been happy about having new friends and was interested in all of this new information that Daphne had supplied. Even Ron being a git hadn't ruined it for her. However, she had missed Harry's mood change and felt bad about it.

What had her amazed now was Daphne's reaction. She had had no idea how invested in this she was. She was also now certain that Harry was more than a friend to her. She looked and saw that Daphne had both of her hands holding one of Harry's as she whispered to him fiercely.

She caught some of it and wondered what Daphne's father had said. Harry hadn't mentioned anything about that. It occurred to her that maybe there were things that Harry would no longer share. She'd have to try not to pester him about it but she didn't dare let him cut them off either.

She looked up and saw Tracey gazing at their hands just as she had. Then Tracey looked her in the eyes and Hermione realized she had found a kindred spirit. She found concern and happiness for her friends in Tracey's face and that is exactly what she felt now. She smiled back at Tracey and saw her smile increase in response.

Hermione looked at Harry again and saw that he was calmer and seemed to be nodding to whatever Daphne was now saying. After a moment Harry looked towards them and his eyes found Hermione's. She knew she couldn't let this moment slide.

"She's right, Harry. You aren't alone. I swear I will be there to help you every step of the way."

She was very happy when an emotional Neville spoke next. "Absolutely, Harry. Remember our familial alliance? You've got me at your side no matter what, Mate. This I swear."

Even Tracey jumped in. "I know we've just barely become friends Harry but you've got me to back you up too. That wasn't an idle offer of friendship I made, I was serious. If I can help, I'll do it."

* * *

Ron felt gutted. Everything he had tried to do was wasted. The snake still had her hooks in his best mate and there didn't seem to be anything he could do about that. Worse yet, it was starting to look like they might be more than friends. It appeared like he'd have to share again or lose him altogether. He had nothing that was his own. Nothing.

Then another thought hit him. There was one thing that was his and his only. That was his wand and he was forgetting who made that possible again. He looked at Harry and then heard the others pledging their support. He'd missed some of what they'd said while he was feeling sorry for himself. He felt a flash of shame as he realized that he was being a git again. If he was Harry's best mate, it was time to stand up and prove it.

"They're right Harry. You'll never be alone. I don't care who this wanker was, if he messes with my friend I will mess with him. You know how my parents feel about you Harry. You'll have all of the Weasleys in your corner if you need us."

Harry looked a little teary-eyed and Ron would normally feel weird about it but bugger that. This was not only about Harry, it was also about the world they wanted to live in. No dark wanker could be allowed to threaten them. If his friend was going to be in the middle of it then he'd be right there in the middle of it with him.

He got up and approached Harry who slowly got up to face him and he just decided to go for it and gave him a hug. He was pretty sure everybody joined him and even heard the Slytherins come around the table. There was probably a Slytherin touching him but bugger that too. He could put up with anything if it helped his friend.

* * *

Daphne was still holding the stone Harry had given her and had to struggle to keep her face clear of emotion. It stunned her how easily Harry could destroy her carefully crafted mask of indifference. He gave her a stone and she gets choked up. Of course, it wasn't merely a stone and in this case symbolized protection but still, this hold he had on her emotions was troubling and wonderful all at the same time.

She was surprised to see Snape in the common room, it wasn't common that he would be here. Tracey continued past her towards their dorm and left her with a smile. Snape seemed to be finishing up a discussion with some NEWT level students and was preparing to leave. She realized that she had an opportunity to close up one gap in the protection this stone could give her. The basilisk had help and her stone could be summoned from her. She knew the spell to prevent summoning but didn't have the magic necessary to cast it. Her head of house, however, could cast it. She waited as the meeting between Snape and the students began to break up.

Snape was leaving and she stepped nearer to him and asked, "Professor, could I trouble you for a quick favour?"

He gave her a mild glare that she just met with her impassive expression. She saw the moment he decided to relent. "And just would that be, Miss Greengrass?"

"Could you put an anti-summoning charm on this for me?"

She held out the lurid pink stone and she could see that he recognized it for what it was. His wand was in his hand so quickly that she had to keep herself from flinching. "Very well."

A quick and silent charm was performed on her stone and then he was gone. She had a new appreciation for the power her head of house had. He was incredibly fast with a wand and she had been having no success with silent casting. She had so far yet to go to be the witch she hoped to be.

* * *

Neville sat on his bed with the curtains pulled and contemplated the letter he had just read. This woman that he barely knew had written him a letter unlike any he had ever received in his life. She told him things even he'd never known about his mother as his Gran preferred to talk about her son, his father. She'd also written about how she cared about what happened to him and hoped that her daughter and he could be friends.

This was just part of how different his life had become in just over the past months. He'd had acquaintances, guys he could talk to occasionally or help fill in for playing a game. He'd been accustomed to having a lot of time to himself and had felt content with his lot. However, things were very different now and he knew the exact moment everything had become so much better.

Harry Potter had come to him and shared a photo with him that had included both of their mothers. When he thought of the fact that he'd nearly declined the invitation to look at it, he realized it would have probably been the biggest mistake of his young life. All he would have had were acquaintances still.

For the first time in his life, he felt like the Longbottom heir. He had reaffirmed a familial alliance with a fellow student who was swiftly becoming a good friend. Harry not only had shared his friends with him, he now even had two Slytherins, of all things, wanting to be his friends too!

He'd always been wary of any Slytherin based on how Malfoy and his goons and even their head of house had treated him. Now he had discovered that the so-called ice queen of Slytherin was actually compassionate and friendly. As if that wasn't enough, a girl he'd never really paid any attention to at all wanted to be his friend also! It was so much beyond the expectations he'd had for this year that it was mind boggling. That group hug they'd had was life changing for him.

It wasn't all sweetness and light though. He'd discovered that there were things going on around him that he'd been unaware of. A deadly danger that had taken his parents away from him was still out there and the danger and damage that could be coming were frightening. He wouldn't let that deter him though as he now had friends. He not only had people he could count on, he had more to fight for than ever before.

Friendships were very important to him despite being so new to him. His Gran liked to talk about how great her son had been and he'd never felt any indication from her that he could follow in his father's footsteps. He was now getting that from his friends. He now knew that he could help, that he could fight for what was right. He knew it wouldn't be easy but he also knew it would be worth it. He was all in. He'd practice anything, try anything just to remain a part of this.

* * *

Ginny had had to give up on trying to get rid of Tom while she was at Hogwarts. Her attempt at sneaking out at night had resulted in the scare of her lifetime and almost getting caught. As long as Tom left her alone she could be patient so that was OK.

The morning had seemed typical to Ginny as she was eating breakfast. She was somewhat cut off from everyone else as she'd never had much of a chance to make her own friends due to spending so much time with that damned diary. Then acting Headmistress McGonagall had announced that the potion was ready and they would regain the two prettified students. She wanted to join the applause at the announcement but something felt very wrong.

Why on earth did it feel like Tom was near when she had him safely hidden away in her trunk? She had the sudden urge to check her book bag hoping not to find a certain book. It felt like her heart dropped when she saw it right there in her bag. How had it gotten there? She had no memory of even thinking about it that day.

No memory? No! It was happening again! She thought that she'd separated herself from Tom but apparently he'd just let her think that. He'd been there where she couldn't see him all this time. She'd never been free of him and she realized that her thinking that she could do this herself was just another stupid decision on her part. Then a more sinister possibility occurred to her. Had that been her decision? Had Tom made her think she could handle this herself?

She felt her breathing accelerate as she began to panic. She needed help and she looked down the table to see Harry facing in her general direction while talking with Neville. Harry was a hero! He could help her! She began to walk toward him and had an unexpected feeling of vertigo and then it felt like something dark was swallowing her whole. Suddenly everything went black.

* * *

Tom Riddle had awoken when the silly little girl started writing to him. It had taken some time to reorient himself and he was amazed at how much time had passed. Despite some hints that his original spirit was still out there somewhere he didn't feel that really mattered for now. He still had the same objective as when he had been separated from his body all of those years ago. He wanted to use Slytherin's monster to clear the school of those unworthy of being students here.

The blasted little girl was persistent and stronger than he'd expected though. She had managed to delay and arrange attacks so he'd never actually gotten to kill. Then the senile old fool had finally realized what his weapon was and made it very dangerous for him to use. Anyone with one of those damned stones could end his monster's life at the touch of a wand. He could no longer risk using his only powerful weapon.

Sure, he could use the girl's wand and with his power added to hers, there was a lot he could do. However, it had also become clear that his full power was not available to him in her body. Besides, he only had what he had studied until he had created his first Horcrux. His original spirit should have decades more knowledge at his disposal and make him more formidable. However, reintegrating wasn't something he was particularly interested in. He was the true Voldemort as much as the disembodied spirit.

Also, that disembodied spirit had been defeated by a child of all things! That spirit wasn't worthy of being Voldemort. Once his objective here was done, he'd travel the world and learn. He'd return as someone formidable enough to rule. He didn't care about that small piece of himself wandering around, not unless he became a nuisance.

He'd been pondering what to do and the announcement of the potion being ready just determined that now was the time. He would absorb her life force and forge a new body and begin to learn. However, he was still curious about that boy who had defeated the part of him that had stayed with the body. If the boy had somehow done it once, he might do it again. The fool of a girl had a crush on the Potter brat though so it was hard to approach him.

He had decided to leave a new message and he knew only the boy could enter the chamber as he was the only other Parselmouth there. If he came down to rescue the girl, he'd find out how the boy had defeated his other self and then kill him. Actually, he might be able to use him to make himself stronger, perhaps it would be better to take him alive. He could decide what to do if the opportunity presented itself.

He had to make his move quickly as the foolish girl wanted to admit the truth to the boy and he couldn't allow that. If they met, it had to on his terms and when he was ready, not before. He took possession of her and quickly applied a notice-me-not charm on her. He walked towards the doors but didn't dare open one, a professor was too likely to notice as all of the children had been herded in and there was nobody coming or going. He then added a disillusionment charm and waited.

* * *

Harry had noticed Ginny look at him and start to walk his way but got distracted by something Hermione was saying. When he looked back again, he didn't see her. He began looking around more but couldn't find her. He gave up on that as he had no idea if she had really intended to speak to him or not. It certainly wasn't her normal habit to do so.

Later, Harry was in his potions class and chopping ingredients for the next step in his potion when he was startled to hear McGonagall's voice echoing through Hogwarts. "Attention! All classes are suspended. Teachers report any missing students immediately. No student can go unescorted. Everyone remain where you are for further instructions."

You could have heard a pin drop after than announcement. Harry was next to Neville while Ron and Hermione were at the next desk over so he could see three of his friends at once. They all looked mystified and concerned. The silence was broken by Snape.

"Everyone! Extinguish any fires you have going. Put away any unused ingredients in an orderly fashion. I will vanish any potions that you have in process."

Harry took advantage of the bustling as students began to obey to check out his Slytherin friends as carefully as he could. He saw Daphne's normal stoicism but Tracey looked concerned. He then concentrated on putting his ingredients away as he saw Snape going from cauldron to cauldron saying 'Evanesco'.

Eventually, everyone was done with their tasks and Harry was distracted, thinking. His first thought was that the heir had struck again but that didn't fit what was going on. They were looking for a missing student and didn't even know who was missing. Maybe this had nothing to do with the whole heir business?

He looked around again and the two houses had congregated into two loose groups although as usual, Daphne and Tracey held themselves slightly apart from the rest of their house. Harry noted Malfoy smirking and whispering something to Goyle that made him smile. If Malfoy was happy, that made this more serious to Harry. Harry broke from his thoughts abruptly as there was another announcement.

"Attention! The following professors have members of the Weasley family with them: Sprout, Vector and Snape. You will each take the Weasleys with you to my office. The rest of your students will wait in the classroom for prefects who will take them to their common rooms. All other professors, take your classes to their common rooms. Everyone will stay in their common rooms until further notice. Professors will report to the teacher's lounge. That is all."

Harry exchanged shocked looks with his friends but Ron looked the worst as he'd gone very pale. Ron barely reacted when the sneering voice of Snape interrupted the moment. "Weasley, you will come with me. The rest of you will remain here until escorts arrive. If I find out that any of you have misbehaved, the consequences will be severe."

Naturally, Snape was staring at Harry when he said the last part but Harry used his new Occlumency skills to remove all emotion from his face, which seemed to disappoint Snape for some reason. Snape turned to the door and snapped, "Follow me, Weasley" as he left through the door. It firmly closed behind them once Ron made it through.

Harry noted these facts with only a small part of his focus. He was thinking deeply about what this all meant. The missing student must be a Weasley but which one? Then the pieces started falling into place for him. Which was the only one acting oddly? Which was the only one who may have been exposed to a dark artefact? She had lied to him and he'd been too stupid to investigate further. He chastised himself as the weight of guilt settled upon him.

He owed the Weasleys a lot and there was no way he was going to let them down. He had allowed things to go too far and he was going to set things right. He began to remove his cloak from its hiding place as he slowly began to back away from the rest of the Gryffindors. He kept them between him and the cluster of Slytherins so none of them would see what he was up to.

* * *

Hermione had drifted towards the door when Ron left with the professor. She felt horrible for Ron as something must have happened to one of his siblings. As if there wasn't enough trouble already, this had to happen. She noticed that Neville was near her and then she looked for Harry. She saw him backing away and reaching for something in his book bag. What was he doing?

Her concentration was broken by the taunting voice of Draco Malfoy. "We ought to shove the mudblood out into the hall so the heir can finish his work more easily."

She was instantly angered and turned to glare in Malfoy's direction but was surprised to see Neville move to stand between them with his wand drawn. This could be bad, she had to think of a way to defuse the situation before it got out of control.

* * *

Daphne had been thinking furiously and was just concluding that the most likely issue was that Ginny Weasley had somehow become possessed. The fact that she might have been exposed to whatever artefact that Lucius Malfoy had had with him just made her castigate herself for not realizing the danger sooner.

She knew how Harry tended to think so she looked for him and saw him distancing himself from everyone while keeping out of sight of most of the Slytherins. However, she was off to the side enough that she could see him. That berk was reaching for his cloak and was about to engage in some Gryffindor foolishness. She had to protect him from himself.

She quickly assessed where the attention of everyone was and saw the two groups glaring at each other and ignoring both Harry and herself. She turned to Tracey who was staring at the two groups with a worried expression. She whispered, "cover for me," to Tracey as she began to move toward Harry while trying to be as inconspicuous at it as possible.

* * *

Neville was mystified by the recent events. One of his few friends had just been called away for something that must be very serious. He automatically began to follow Hermione as he wondered if there was anything that he could do. He was already stressed so when he heard that idiot Malfoy mouthing off, he saw red. Nobody messed with Neville's friends.

"Shut your gob, Malfoy. Nobody wants to hear your bigoted nonsense."

"Oh, look! The Longbottom Squib has found some courage! Isn't that cute?"

Neville had had enough. "If you don't shut up, I'll do it for you!"

As Malfoy opened his mouth to retort, Hermione's voice rang out instead. "Don't worry about Malfoy, Neville. Everyone knows that the village idiot has to act up once in a while. After he's done making himself look foolish, he'll go back to playing with himself."

Neville grinned as he looked at the gobsmacked bully. Malfoy didn't even know what to say! He should have known that Hermione could take care of herself. He decided to enjoy the show.

* * *

Tracey blinked in shock as her friend began to move towards Harry. Cover for her? How? She gulped and returned her attention to the two groups in front of her. There were a lot of drawn wands but so far the conflict was solely verbal. She noted with some satisfaction that someone was finally putting Malfoy in his place and the fact that it was one of her new friends made Tracey proud. The way things were going, she wouldn't have to do anything. Everyone else was busy staring at their opposition and paying no attention to Tracey or her best friend. This was going to be easy!

* * *

By the time Daphne got to Harry, he was almost totally invisible under his cloak. He was however, currently giving her a very surprised and somewhat sheepish look. Good. At least he was starting to realize when he was being an idiot. She didn't want them to be overheard so she cast a privacy charm before she spoke.

"What do you think you are doing?"

To her disappointment, his face hardened with determination. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Ginny is in danger, I have to do something."

"She's possessed, she _**is**_ the danger."

"That doesn't make any difference."

She was losing! She needed a new tack. "It doesn't have to be you, there are professors…."

"Do you really think they'll listen to us?"

She wanted to rebut that immediately. However, she found herself standing with her mouth open and nothing to say. She thought of her own head of house and had no illusions about how that would go. But what about McGonagall….. Yeah, that thing she did with her mouth would leave her as tongue-tied as she felt now. Dammit! Why did he have to be right now of all times?

She looked into his fiery eyes and felt her knees getting weak. She knew in that moment that she couldn't stop him, better to join him then. "Fine. Just remember that you aren't alone."

His smile made something flutter in her stomach. She got under the cloak with him as quickly as she could. She caught a glimpse of Tracey watching her and gave her a quick wave before the cloak completely enclosed her. Being like a Gryffindor was contagious. That was going to be her story and she was going to stick with it.

* * *

Tracey was enjoying Malfoy's losing effort in trying to verbally abuse Hermione. She marvelled that he didn't seem to realize he was losing and should just shut up already. Tracey looked to check on Daphne again and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Daphne was going with him! She thought she was going to stop him! Now what could she do?

She looked at where they'd been sitting and saw Daphne's book bag. She took a look around to verify nobody was paying attention to her and quickly snatched it up and slung it over her shoulder next to her own. She looked to where Harry had been sitting and saw no trace of his book bag. She'd have to depend on the Gryffindors to cover anything of Harry's that she might be missing.

* * *

Hermione was preparing her next riposte as Malfoy spluttered ineffectually from her last retort. She glanced at a smiling Neville next to her as she realized that she was enjoying this. She was beating Malfoy at the game he had started. She was pretty certain that he now regretted it.

Suddenly the door behind her opened and she recognized an angry Penelope Clearwater before she started shouting at them.

"What's going on here? Put your wands away now! We're here to take you to your common rooms!"

She noticed Neville sheepishly putting his wand away but she didn't have hers out so she looked around instead. She recognized the other Ravenclaw with Penelope as he was also a prefect. There was no sign of Harry and she was certain that he was hiding under his cloak to sneak out. She saw no way to join him and she really didn't want him going anywhere alone. She looked for Daphne but saw Tracey alone and when Tracey noticed her look, she cut her eyes toward where Harry had been before. She relaxed, Daphne was with him then. She decided to back their play and hope for the best.

Penelope then asked, "Is everyone ready?"

Hermione didn't want anyone looking for Harry so she immediately responded, "Gryffindor is ready!"

* * *

Tracey saw Pansy starting to look around so she immediately followed Hermione's example. "Slytherin is ready!"

When Parkinson looked at her curiously she glared back until the other girl sniffed in disdain and looked away. Sometimes it made it easier to be looked down upon in her house. Nobody wanted to deal with her so nobody could call her bluff.

Their common room was closest, of course, so Tracey trailed in as usual. She kept on going to their dorms while most of her house mates settled down to spread rumours in the common room. She put Daphne's bag on her bed and her own in the usual spot. She headed back out to the common room and saw most of them there still talking when their head of house came in.

Everybody seemed to expect an announcement but Snape had nothing to say and perched himself in a chair near the entrance to the common room. Tracey noticed others fading back from his glowering presence but she felt it was her duty to her friend to be near the door in case Daphne needed to sneak back in so she went up to where she could watch the door out of the corner of her eye and ignored her head of house.


	9. Echoes From the Past

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks for reading and especially reviewing and special thanks to Shygui for being a great beta. If you would like a different view of Daphne, check out "A Blank Canvas" by TideTurner27.

Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy. – JK Rowling

Daphne had worn the cloak before but it was quite different being under it with Harry. For one thing, she felt hot. It wasn't that Harry himself was hot but being next to him was – or something like that. Also, she wasn't accustomed to smelling a boy. She'd gotten a whiff of Crabbe once that had almost made her gag but Harry smelled – nice. This whole effect he had on her was rather unnerving. She really didn't want to think about that. She really wasn't ready for the direction those thoughts might go.

Two prefects finally showed up for them and they were able to trail after everyone through the door and kept their distance but followed the Gryffindors until they got to the second floor. Their first and obvious stop was the loo and hallway where some key events related to the chamber had occurred. It had been awkward walking together so it was just convenience that led her to put her arm around Harry and walk so close to him. Really.

They first stopped in the hallway and saw why the announcement was made. There was a new message:

 **Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever**

She felt Harry tense up but couldn't think of anything that might comfort him. They quietly made their way to the loo and found nobody. Why wasn't anyone here? It was pretty obvious that this was a key to finding the Chamber of Secrets yet they were the only ones here. Harry put down his book bag and started to remove the cloak so she stepped out to make it easier for him. She decided to also try to make herself useful.

"Myrtle? Are you here?"

A ghost suddenly came right through one of the stall doors and looked at her curiously. "Who are you?"

"I'm Daphne Greengrass, I'm a friend of Harry's." She felt that associating herself with Harry might get her more cooperation from the ghost since they'd already met.

Myrtle looked at Harry and addressed him. "You again. What do you want this time? Are you doing another potion?"

Daphne gave Harry a curious look while he blushed and muttered, "I'll tell you later."

Harry cleared his throat and spoke to Myrtle. "Actually I came to ask you about how you died."

That led Myrtle into a convoluted story about someone named Olive Hornby and she just sort of skipped over the interesting part. Daphne decided to try to get her to focus on what they really needed from her.

"I'm sorry to hear about Olive but you skipped the interesting part. What exactly happened when you died?"

"Oh. Well I was in there," she pointed over her shoulder towards the stall she'd just emerged from. "Then I heard a boy doing this strange hissing. Well, I didn't care what he was doing, he wasn't supposed to be in the girl's loo so I came out to tell him to go somewhere else and then I just… died."

Daphne tried again. "Did you see who it was? Did you hear anything else?"

"I didn't get a chance to see much of anything. I do remember some big yellow eyes and then my body seized up and I started to float away…. But then I came back. I wanted to haunt Olive Hornby."

"Where were the eyes?"

"Over there, by the sinks."

She had pointed to a sink next to Harry so he went over to check it out and Daphne quickly was at his side. Harry was the first to see it, one of the taps had a small snake etched into it. As he tried to turn it Daphne was surprised to hear Myrtle above them. "That tap has never worked."

She looked over at Harry and murmured, "We know he spoke Parseltongue."

He nodded and then looked at the tap and said, "Open."

At this moment, humour was far from appropriate but she still had to fight a smile when she said, "That was English, Harry."

He huffed in frustration and seemed to stare even harder at the tap. Then some creepy hissing came out of his mouth and she looked at him in fascination. She then stepped back when the tap began to glow and spin and before they knew it, the sink sank out of sight and a large pipe was in its place. Daphne cast Lumos and peered as far as she could see. It seemed to be an endless black hole.

In that moment, she just knew he was going to just jump down the hole and she wondered if there was any possible way to talk him out of this. They looked at each other and then Harry said, "I'll go first." She felt like she'd missed her moment and now whatever was going to happen was inevitable and she didn't like this feeling of not having any control. Once he slid out of sight, Daphne sighed, sat down with her feet in the hole and froze. She tried to take a deep breath and then push off but only the deep breath part happened. It was finally the thought of him dying alone because she'd been too cowardly to follow that finally forced her to push off.

Her heart was pounding and she was suppressing the urge to scream and she had to resort to forceful Occlumency to control herself. She was deeply regretting not talking him out of this as she was going down farther than she expected and faster than she liked. Suddenly, it levelled off and she slid to a stop in a tunnel big enough to stand up in. Harry was already up and peering around as far as his lit wand allowed.

She wanted to sit there and recover but she had to put a stop to what Harry was doing immediately. Before she even finished getting up, she muttered the privacy spell and then moved near him.

"Harry, you have to be more careful. Do you at least have your stone out?"

He held it out to her with a hint of a scowl but she gave him an even bigger one back. "You have to keep your eyes down. You know what happens if you look him the eyes? You're dead just like Myrtle, that's what. BE. MORE. CAREFUL."

She saw that message sink in as he looked abashed. "I have a mirror." She stopped what she was saying as he gave her a surprised look. "I'm a Slytherin, remember? I know what a direct view of a basilisk would do to me so I have started to carry a mirror with me at all times. I will go first and check things out. If I get petrified, you use the stone immediately and then get me out so I can eventually be revived. Promise me?"

"Yeah, sure. Of course."

She knew she could depend on him but it still wasn't easy to put her fate in anyone else's hands. There was no backing out now though so the only direction left was forward. She sighed and gave him a serious look. "Just… please be careful." Honestly, this boy was going to be the death of her. She noticed they were both filthy so she cast Scourgify on both of them.

She removed her small mirror and started to walk forward but paused in consternation when she heard crunching. What? She gulped when she saw the myriad of skeletons littering the entire floor area. It would be hard to sneak up on anything. She cast Silencio towards her feet and then towards Harry's. He gave her a smile that made her feel better. She really couldn't believe that she was doing this and she resolved to never admit this to anyone.

She took a fortifying breath and then walked up to the first turn and slowly moved the mirror out so she could look beyond the turn and frowned when she had to force her hand to be more still. She then put more of her magic into her Lumos and all of the tunnel before another turn became visible. She gasped slightly when she saw something snake shaped but then calmed when she saw that it was a shed skin, not a snake. However, the skin was frighteningly large. Just how big was this basilisk anyway?

She looked back at Harry who looked worried so she moved closer to put her mouth near his ear to whisper to him. She was so close that his hair tickled her nose when she whispered, "There's a snake skin in the next part but no snake."

Harry looked a little distracted and seemed a bit pink but he nodded his understanding so she moved around the corner and kept walking with her eyes down, using her mirror as much as she could and listening for any hint of movement. When she got to the middle of the snakeskin, she couldn't help but stop and marvel at the size of it. She looked back at Harry and his face must look like hers. This was no small snake they were trying to find, it was a true monster.

She had just started walking again when a small stone fell in front of her and she jerked back and looked up. However, the ceiling of the tunnel looked fine so it appeared safe to continue. She took another deep breath and resumed walking to the next bend in the tunnel. She made sure that Harry moved to stand by the wall like she did and then slowly moved the mirror out around the corner again. She could see the tunnel ended with a blank wall with two large snakes carved around it. It was foreboding but not dangerous so she motioned for him to follow.

They slowly walked up to it and looked at the snakes. The eyes seemed to be emeralds and they somehow managed to glint as if they were real eyes. She had never really had a problem with a snake being the symbol of her house but this was definitely creepy. She exchanged looks with Harry again and he looked as intimidated as she felt.

It seemed pretty obvious that this would open when he told it to but they had to have a plan first. She cast the privacy charm again and stepped nearer to him. Even though she knew more about magic and the world of magic, somehow being near Harry made her feel safer. It made no sense to her but it was a fact that she could not refute.

"We have to have a plan. We can't just open this and stand right in front of the opening, it could be waiting for us. I think we should get next to a wall again and when you open it, I will check everything with the mirror."

"I've been thinking. Whoever is waiting probably knows I'm a Parselmouth so he'll be expecting me but not you. You should wear this. You can be my backup."

He held out his cloak to her again and she felt emotions bubbling up nearly uncontrollably yet another time. How is it that he could make her feel all of these things? She thought she had developed such good emotional control yet time and again he made her feel like she had no control at all. However, she had to concede that he made an excellent point. Good, he was starting to think like a Slytherin. Well, at least sometimes and that was an improvement. She took it and gave him a grateful smile and was a little surprised when he blushed. Good, she could make him feel things too, she wasn't alone in this.

When she had it on she realized that the plan wasn't perfect. She'd have to move her arm out to see around corners and he had to tell if she became petrified but it was still good to be concealed as much as possible. She moved nearer the entrance and the nearest wall and made sure he followed her. When she was as ready as she could be, she whispered, "now."

She moved her arm out so he could see it and was looking at the wall as she heard him hiss again and the wall split and began to open. At first she could see nothing but darkness through the slot that opened but gradually the side walls with columns in the distance came into her view. If this was the chamber, it was big, no make that huge. She widened her scans of the area as the walls continued to slide open. By the time they were fully open, she could tell that they were at the end of a rectangular room.

She quietly took a couple of steps forward and continued to scan around. Other than the columned walls, the only thing she noticed was an odd statue carved into the farthest wall. Then she saw a small form on the floor and based on the red hair, it had to be Ginny Weasley. She continued to double check, even scanning up but all she saw was a very high ceiling. The chamber was immense, bigger than the great hall. Based on the puddles and dripping she could hear, she wondered if they might be under the lake. She had seen no sign of danger but she knew it had to be in there, somewhere.

She brought her arm back under the cloak and she turned back towards Harry and saw him looking in her direction with worry evident on his face. She could just cast the privacy charm and talk to him but felt drawn to go near him and whisper into his ear again. She noticed that he had no idea she was moving and he still stared in the same direction. As she slowly neared him, she saw he was becoming more concerned so she moved in and whispered to him.

"It's a huge room with a high ceiling. We're on one end of it and all I see is an odd statue with Ginny Weasley laying on the floor near it. Nothing else. Be careful where you look. I'll be behind you."

He had tensed when she began to whisper and as she began to withdraw she looked at his cheek and considered giving him a kiss 'for luck' but let the moment pass. She stepped back and watched him as he seemed to shake something off and carefully began walking in and looking around, thankfully keeping his head down as he carefully scanned around.

She nearly cursed as she realized she'd been so focused on using her mirror that she didn't have her stone out. She got it out of her pocket and held it against the handle of her mirror. She could tap it with her wand quickly if the need arose now.

* * *

Why did she keep whispering in his ear like that? She'd been so close he felt her breath on his skin both times and it made him so nervous and hot. His heart was thundering so much it was hard to hear anything else. He had to calm down!

He kept her advice in mind though and was very careful as he entered the chamber. He wished there was more light and had a hard time not flinching each time he saw the reflection of torch light in the puddles as he passed them. He hoped that Daphne was careful as stepping in a puddle would give her away.

Suddenly he saw Ginny ahead and couldn't wait any longer and ran to her. He had his stone in his left hand and his wand in his right and nearly dropped them to check her but stopped himself in time. He had to be ready, they were the only protection he had with him. Well, other than his hidden ally.

He pressed the back of his right hand against her neck and was relieved to feel a heartbeat. However, she felt colder than he liked. "Ginny?" He tried to shake her shoulder but suddenly he heard a boy say 'Accio stones' and he abruptly found his left hand empty as the stone soared away from him. He brought his wand to bear in that direction and saw a ghostly boy twirling a wand in his hand and smirking at him. Fortunately he only heard one stone hit the rock floor so Daphne was still armed.

"Who are you?"

The spectre laughed and asked a question back. "Who do you think I am?"

He almost said Voldemort but since it was a boy he changed his mind. "Tom Riddle."

Harry suppressed a smile as he saw the boy was disconcerted. "She never told you about me. How did you know?"

"Did you really think you fooled everyone when you framed Hagrid?"

The boy looked outraged. "Are you telling me that half-breed idiot actually figured it out?"

"No, not Hagrid."

The boy seemed to regain his composure. "Dumbledore then. I knew I never completely fooled him."

He was about to tell him a friend figured it out but that could be dangerous. He didn't dare say anything that made Riddle/Voldemort suspect he might not be alone. He groped for a new subject.

"What have you done to Ginny?"

That got a curious look from Riddle. "You really care about her? She seemed so convinced the _rich, famous, heroic_ Harry Potter would _never_ care for her."

Harry really didn't like his sarcastic mocking of Ginny but didn't let himself get distracted. "I care about all of the Weasleys. They've been very friendly to me."

"How did a baby defeat the greatest wizard who ever lived?"

Daphne was right, this bastard certainly was full of himself. "Ha! The greatest wizard who ever lived would be Dumbledore or maybe Merlin but not you – Voldemort." The spectre didn't like that. Harry grinned this time.

"What could a mere child know of such things?"

"Enough to beat you."

"Impossible! You're trying to trick me. How was I defeated?"

This wasn't getting them anywhere. Maybe he could make a deal with him. He'd probably be overconfident enough to say too much. Harry needed an advantage as he had no idea how to fight a spirit. "I'll answer your question if you'll answer mine."

Riddle pointed a wand at Harry. "You first."

Harry readied himself to cast a shield but didn't flinch. "I don't trust you. You first."

Tom scowled at him but slowly his face cleared. "Fine. I can afford to be generous. What was your question again?"

"What did you do to Ginny?"

"Ah, that. She trusted too much, gave away too much to a complete stranger."

Daphne's lesson on thinking like a Slytherin came back to him as he saw an example of what she'd taught right in front of him. Riddle was deliberately trying to make the subject seem unimportant and was giving as little away as possible. He disliked the idea but he had to puff up his ego a bit, play the scared, uninformed boy to him.

"You? How could trusting too much do this to her?" Harry was relieved to see the sly smile reappear on Tom's face. It was working.

"I knew I couldn't continue Salazar Slytherin's noble work while I was here. Dumbledore was watching me too closely and I didn't want to spend any more time in that filthy Muggle orphanage than I had to. I didn't want to leave it undone though so I put a memory of my 16 year old self into my diary. Eventually I would find someone to continue my work and so that is what I set out to do."

"I had no idea it would take so long to happen though. Much time was lost to me." Riddle looked distracted and regretful. However, his face cleared and he looked at Harry with his smirk again before Harry could think of how to prompt him once more.

"Then poor little ignored Ginevra Weasley started to write in me. Such inane, silly things she wrote too, much of it about you. She has such a _crush_ on you. Pathetic, really." He gazed at Harry with malice but Harry was using Occlumency to keep himself calm and Tom didn't get the reaction he hoped for.

"She also poured out her secrets to me. She gave me so much that I was gaining power from her until finally I began to manipulate her, pour a little of me into her. Eventually I was able to take her over for a time. Do whatever I wished while she slept. She fought me though, she was stronger than I expected. I wanted those mudbloods dead, not petrified."

Riddle then fixed Harry with a stare again before he finished. "Your precious 'greatest wizard' Dumbledore was driven from this school by a mere memory of my 16 year old self. Don't try to pretend that he is greater than me."

Harry gritted his teeth but refused to rise to the bait. He didn't know what to do yet, it wasn't time to goad Riddle and he needed more information or maybe just an inspiration.

"Your turn."

The determined look from the ghostly boy told Harry that he wasn't going to get more until he gave him something. He didn't want to tell him anything but then he realized that he had little to share. Nobody knew what had really happened that night, least of all Harry himself. He could safely repeat what he'd heard and it wouldn't give Voldemort much at all.

"Nobody knows exactly what happened that night. My mother gave her life for me. My Muggleborn mother, by the way. Somehow, that made it impossible for you to kill me and you were defeated by your own spell." Harry saw his eyes get a faraway look and he began to speak softly as if thinking to himself.

"Yes, old magic, ancient magic, _sacrificial_ magic. My older self was careless, should have seen that coming." Then his eyes refocussed on Harry and he got his smirk back. "You really aren't that special then. It was your mother and my other self's carelessness."

Tom then gave him a speculative look that had the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. "We're quite alike, you and I. Both half-bloods, both orphans, both of us Parselmouths and probably the first since Slytherin himself and we even look similar. Perhaps we were meant to join forces."

Harry wanted to reject the idea and curse him but controlled himself. Harry still wasn't sure what to do and he might still be able to get more out of him, something important. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Power, Potter. It's all about power. There is no good and evil, there is only power and those bold enough to seize it and those too weak to even try. Do you have what it takes to be truly great?"

After his time with Daphne, he had an answer for that question. "Yes. I do." Tom's speculative look reappeared but then slowly faded and he shook his head.

"It's a pity we'll never find out. It would be fitting for us to duel now, Potter. However, you came sooner than I anticipated and I'm still too early in the process of absorbing her life force. Expending too much magic would be a setback and I want to get this done. It's time for you to face the might of Slytherin's monster. We'll see how the _famous_ Harry Potter fares against _that_."

Riddle looked up and although he was hissing, Harry understood him just fine. 'Greatest of the Hogwart's four'? Apparently, Riddle wasn't the only one with an ego problem. However, he had to act fast. Ginny was too close to the base of the statue. If a huge snake came down on top of her, she could be crushed!

He kept his face away from the statue and grabbed her arm with his free hand and began dragging her away. The sounds above made it clear that the snake was emerging so he hissed up at it to stay back.

That made the shade laugh. "He won't listen to you. Only I can command him."

He was still dragging her away when something heavy hit the floor and made him stumble. He let go of Ginny but kept looking away. He had to depend on Daphne now, he'd done all he could do. Relief washed through him as he heard a rooster crow and the snake begin hissing and thrashing in pain.

His attention went to Riddle as he shouted in shock. "What?! Who else is here?"

Harry heard the snake take its last breath and lie still. Things were finally going their way but then before Harry could react, Tom slashed his wand and an arc of red light went out in the direction of the crow. Harry's heart dropped when he saw a startled rooster appear out of nowhere, fluttering and squawking as it headed to the floor.

He also saw Daphne's hand appear and her mirror fall to the ground as her hand followed. He saw the mirror break and her hand lie still along with one of her feet and part of her leg that showed where they had emerged from the cloak that was still mostly covering her. No! What had he done to her? He felt like the whole world stopped as he looked at her lying there, even his heart had seemed to stop beating. He was held in a moment of disbelief and impending loss.

He wanted to run to her but again before he could move he heard a snarled "Avada Kedavra!" No! He knew from one of Daphne's lessons that a Protego was of no use. He had to summon or conjure an object…. He was very relieved when the spell struck the rooster instead of Daphne. The rooster fell over dead.

He turned to Riddle with a snarl. It was time to end this. No more talk, he was going to finish him! That's when he realized that the spectre looked weaker, more transparent and wavering. He had weakened himself! He felt a grim smile form on his face.

"Expelliarmus!"

He might be weaker but he was still fast. He easily evaded Harry's spell and returned Harry's look with a snarl of his own. "Even weakened, I'm still more than enough for you, Potter. Your friend is down. Where is your precious Dumbledore now?"

Down, he said down, not dead. He felt marginally better but he was still stymied. How could he end this? However, his mention of Dumbledore brought back to mind the strange thing Dumbledore had said. Could that be the answer?

"Dumbledore is still here as long as someone is still loyal to him and help will be given to those who ask." He was asking, very hard but silently while Tom laughed. They were both startled to hear some eerie but pleasing bird song. Then Harry spotted the source. "Fawkes!"

The brilliantly plumed bird circled over them once and then he landed on Harry's shoulder while releasing something into his free hand as Harry reached for it. Even as he was realizing what it was, he heard Riddle scoff, "A bird and the sorting hat? That's your help?"

He looked at Riddle who looked confident and relaxed. Wait, he was content to let time pass. Why? Then he remembered, he was absorbing Ginny's life force. As he grew stronger, she grew weaker so time was on his side, not Harry's. He still didn't know what to do. Then he remembered, the hat could talk to him! Maybe it had an idea!

He put the hat on his head and was thinking intently 'I need help to defeat Voldemort' over and over. Unfortunately, all he heard was Tom laughing, not a word emerged from the hat. Harry was beginning to panic when something hard and heavy hit him on the head.

Damn! That hurt! He was seeing stars as he tried to get the hat off his head while Fawkes fluttered away and he felt something long and heavy begin falling away from him as it finally emerged from the hat. When he recovered a moment later he saw a large sword with rubies laying with the blade inside the basilisk's mouth. Then he realized how close the snake had gotten to him before it died. Wow! That was close!

The mystery though was: how could a sword help him defeat a spirit? They were made to cut something material, something solid. As he stared at it he saw what must be venom dripping on to the blade but strangely, whatever it was did not dribble off, it disappeared! Was the sword somehow absorbing it? What was that thing?

"Gryffindor's sword! What a marvellous trophy! It's just what I need to continue my legacy. I can become greater than my other self ever dreamed."

Harry turned to see Tom looking at the sword with longing. If his enemy wanted it then he would deny it from him. He switched his wand to his left hand and reached down and took it by the grip. He was surprised when it felt fairly light in his hand. By the size of it, he had expected it to be hard for him to handle.

He saw Tom smirking at him again as he spread his hands. "Let's see what you can do with a sword then. Come on, I'll give you a free swing." He just stood there, smirking and waiting.

Harry realized he was going about this wrong. He was paying attention to what his enemy wanted him to instead of what was important. The problem though was, what was important? He'd had a feeling that he was missing some key point but what? He ran what Tom had said before through his mind again and then he realized what it must be. The diary. The dark artefact was a book. What a great place to sneak a book to someone else: a bookstore!

Tom was still staring at him and waiting. His enemy was inactive and that suited Harry just fine. He wouldn't provoke him unless it was to his advantage. He had to find that book. Tom was still in transition, if he hurt the book, he'd probably hurt Voldemort. He very much wished to do that now.

He tried to look nervous and uncertain while he was really searching for the diary. He finally spotted it near where Ginny must have been originally. It didn't look like much but it was now his target. He circled as if looking for an advantageous position and Tom just continued to watch and smirk. Finally he saw the book in his peripheral vision, in front of his right foot. Good then, time to make a stand.

He realized at that moment that he was holding the sword wrong. He wanted to stab it, not cut at it. He carefully used his left hand to steady the sword by the point as he shifted his grip. Then he looked at an overjoyed spirit.

"You're holding it wrong. Do you want me to give you a lesson?"

"I'm holding it just as I need it. I'm going to do this!" He brought his hand up looked down at the book and stabbed just as Tom began to shout 'no' but then it dissolved into a scream. Harry was shocked to see that he'd not only stabbed through the book, the sword had apparently also gone a few inches into the stone floor! What was this thing made of?

As if that wasn't enough, the book seemed to be sizzling as if it was exposed to something very hot and leaking ink at a furious rate. He heard what sounded like a last gasp and looked up in time to see the ghostly boy dissolve into nothingness. He had won.

He promptly abandoned the sword and hurried over to Daphne and flipped the cloak off of her. He looked her over for any wound and found none. He then saw that she was breathing and sobbed in relief. Behind him he heard a groan and then a mutter. "Wha' hap'n?"

He looked back to see Ginny looking pale and disoriented but she was starting to sit up under her own power. "Ginny! You're OK. Tom is dead and so is the basilisk. I have to help Daphne though."

Maybe Daphne was just stunned. What was the counter again? He realized he wasn't holding his wand and found it lying neglected beside Daphne. "Rennervate!" She seemed to twitch but that was all. He had to try again. "Rennervate!"

Her pretty blue eyes fluttered open and he felt like he hadn't seen such a beautiful thing in his life. "Daphne!" He pulled her up into a hug before she could utter a sound or even move.

He felt her arms go around him as she muttered, "Harry?"

"Yes. It's over. I got him."

"I'm so proud of you. You realized it was the diary then?"

"Yeah, took me a few minutes though. I still have to work on my Slytherin side."

"I think you're doing pretty well already."

He felt her shaking and he was pretty sure she was crying. He just held her as he didn't know what else to do. He heard Ginny getting up and then he heard her gasp. She'd probably seen the basilisk. It was a very impressive sight he had to admit. Eventually, Daphne started to let go and he helped her to her feet. She was slightly unsteady at first but quickly gained her balance.

They both turned to look at Ginny and saw her shivering with tears streaming down her face as she stared at Harry. Her attention made Harry a little uneasy but he pushed it aside as he took a couple of steps toward her.

"Ginny, are you OK?"

"It was me. It was all me. I tried to fight him, I did. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do it…."

She burst into tears, stepped forward and grabbed Harry in a tight hug as she sobbed into his shoulder. It had felt good to comfort Daphne but this made him rather uncomfortable. He turned to look at Daphne and at first saw a dark look on her face as she looked at Ginny. He was beginning to wonder what that was about when she gave him a tentative smile. He relaxed and tried to shrug at her with a smile of his own. Suddenly he saw the glint of amusement in her eyes and she relaxed too and stepped over to join them.

"It's all right, Weasley. He's fooled a lot of people in his long life. I don't think they'll give an 11 year old trouble for falling for his lies."

Ginny recovered herself enough to pull back and look at Daphne. "Who, Tom?"

"Yes. Tom Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort."

Ginny gasped and recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "You-know-who?! That was you-know-who?"

Harry tried to reassure her then. "Yes. It was Voldemort. He was a student here who graduated in 1945. He left the diary to reopen the Chamber of Secrets and kill all the Muggleborns in Hogwarts."

She gasped and stepped back. "Somebody died?!"

"No! That was what he intended but not what he accomplished. He said you were strong and stopped him from killing."

She shivered and hugged herself as she looked down in shame. "I don't feel strong."

"You should. He said you were strong. I'm impressed."

He felt Daphne take his hand so he looked at her and she seemed to be searching his face for something so he smiled at her and she relaxed. To his surprise she leaned into him and put her head on his shoulder. It made him feel good and confused at the same time. He looked at Ginny in time to see her look away, blushing and probably disappointed. He wasn't sure as he hadn't gotten a good look at her face. What was going on with these two girls anyway?

He began to look around and assess all that they'd have to bring back with them. Then how they entered hit him and he wondered how on earth they could slide _up_ the pipe. Then he saw Fawkes peering at him from his perch on the dead basilisk.

"Fawkes, I don't suppose you know how we can get out of here, do you?"

It had been intended mostly as a joke but he was surprised when Fawkes trilled an answer and ruffled up his tail to make it obvious. Was he saying that he could carry them out?

Daphne lifted up her head and told them. "Phoenixes can carry heavy loads. I'm sure he can fly us out of here."

That seemed a bit far-fetched to Harry but he was the one who knew so little about the magical world so he'd take her word for it. "Well, I guess we better get everything together then." They separated and Harry went to the sword and was surprised at how easily he pulled it back out. He then gingerly removed the diary from it. It was rather gross and he didn't want to put it in a pocket.

He saw Ginny looking around for something. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find my wand."

"Oh, um, here. Could you hold the sword for me? Watch out, the blade is sharp." He held it out to her with the point down and she gingerly took it and put the point on the floor to take the weight. Harry then glanced where Riddle had been but didn't see the wand either. He took out his wand and said, "Accio Ginny's wand."

It came flying to him and he caught it awkwardly with the hand holding his wand. He turned to Ginny had held it out to her. "Here you go."

She took it gingerly as he heard a surprised Daphne ask, "You can do the spell?"

"Well, yeah. You told me it was a good spell to know so I worked on it over break. You know it too, why are you surprised?"

"Harry, I know it but I can't get it to work completely for me. Things don't fly to me, they twitch or roll! That is a fourth year spell!"

"A wand is light so…." Harry shrugged, he wasn't sure why she was so surprised.

"Harry, I used a feather and it just twitches or rolls a little bit."

"Oh. I'm sure you just have to work on it a little more."

Daphne smiled and shook her head at him. She then held out his cloak but he shook his head. "No. You need that to sneak back into your common room. At least, I hope you can. I assume you don't want anybody to know you were here."

"If it's possible, yes."

Harry turned to Ginny who was standing holding her wand and the sword and looking uncertain. "Ginny. Nobody can know that Daphne was here. You can tell the truth about everything except leave her out of it. OK?"

"Yeah, sure, Harry. I'll do that."

Harry turned back to Daphne to see her staring at the basilisk corpse. He knew it was impressive but her expression seemed more speculative than awed. When she looked back at him, she told him something that surprised him.

"This would be worth a lot, just in potions ingredients alone. There are other markets for the teeth, venom and skin. This body is worth a fortune. You should arrange to have it harvested."

"Me?"

"Yes, by right of conquest. You killed it."

"No, you killed it."

"I just used the stone plus if we're lucky, nobody else will know I was here at all."

"Oh, right. Who would do it though?"

"My father could make arrangements or you could contact the goblins."

"Could your father make the arrangements but still keep his name out of it?"

Daphne paused to think. "He should be able to but I'll contact him to make sure. If not, I'll find out who to contact amongst the goblins."

"Good. Do I need to get Dumbledore's permission?"

"No. This isn't part of Hogwarts plus he can't interfere with your right of conquest. But it would be courteous to inform him."

He smiled at her. "I'm lucky to have you around to tell me this stuff. I would have had no idea."

She blushed and then said, "We better get out of here. People are worrying."

It was Harry's turn to blush. She was totally correct. He looked at Ginny and saw that she was uncomfortable holding the sword so he took it back and held it with the book so he still had a free hand. Fawkes must have understood them as he was already hovering before them and offering his tail feathers. He asked Ginny to pick up the sorting hat and take it with her.

The trip was a little surreal as they trailed along behind him as if they had featherlight charms on them. Maybe that was the secret, not the bird's strength but that the phoenix could make them light. Once they were back in the tunnel, he could hear the door shutting and once they were back in the girl's loo, the sink closed as well.

Myrtle's surprise and slight dismay at his survival was their initial hero's welcome. Harry glared at Daphne as she only partly suppressed laughter at the revelation that Myrtle had hoped to share her toilet with Harry. He pretended to glare at her as he said, "Don't you have a common room to go to?"

"Sorry, I don't want to interfere with the adulation of your adoring public." She disappeared under his cloak before he could think of a good riposte. He huffed and then looked at Ginny who looked lost and forlorn.

"They won't expel you for this."

His only response was an uncertain shrug. He saw that Fawkes seemed to be waiting for them and they followed when Daphne must have opened the door. Fawkes led Harry and Ginny to McGonagall's office and after a significant look at her door, he flamed away. As he got nearer he could hear that there seemed to be several people in there. He exchanged a nervous look with Ginny and then he opened the door with Ginny seeming to try to hide behind him.

Her attempt at avoiding attention was a spectacular failure as they heard Molly Weasley shriek "Ginny!" and proceed to engulf Ginny in a hug. Harry just hoped she'd survive that encounter after all she'd already gone through in the last few months.

Harry faced his own uncomfortable moment as he saw the male Weasleys from Ron right up to his father staring at him in open-mouthed shock. He guessed that the sword and ruined book were odd things to carry around but why they were looking at him liked he'd grown a second head?

It was the voice of their head of house that broke the stare down amongst the males in the room. "I wonder why it was reported to me by the prefects that all of my Gryffindors were safe in the common room yet I find you walking into my office with someone we had feared was dead."

Suddenly the twins and Ron descended on him and were pounding him on the back and congratulating him like he'd just caught the snitch to win the Quidditch cup. He was too overwhelmed by the welcome to have any idea what Percy or his father might think. A few moments later he found himself being thanked profusely by Mr. Weasley so that was a relief. He was a little intimidated by the hug he was engulfed in by Mrs. Weasley but he fortunately never felt suffocated.

"Was it a basilisk?" Harry was surprised that Dumbledore was in the room and now he also saw where Fawkes had ended up as he was there on the headmaster's shoulder.

"Yes. The stone worked perfectly, it died before it could hurt anyone."

Dumbledore nodded and then said, "Good. I am also curious as to how Miss Weasley came into possession of the sorting hat."

He then looked at Ginny clutching that very artefact to her chest and looking around like she expected them to attack her. Harry was about to speak up when she managed to quietly say, "Harry had it."

"Actually, it was Fawkes who brought it to me. I was even more surprised when I managed to pull this out of the hat." He lifted the sword and everyone gaped at it like they hadn't noticed it before. He moved over to Ginny had held out his hand. "I'll return it for you."

She handed it off so quickly you would have thought it was burning her hands. He then walked over to McGonagall's desk and after laying the hat on it, he laid the sword on top of the hat.

Dumbledore peered at it. "Most curious. I would guess that it is Gryffindor's long-lost sword."

"That's what Voldemort said."

Molly Weasley screamed and Harry flinched back and rebounded off of McGonagall's desk. Harry watched as the Weasley parents managed to prod the basic story of what had been happening the last few months from their crying daughter. When they got to the part of what happened to his diary Harry held it up and said, "I destroyed it."

Mr. Weasley began to ask, "How could he have enchanted a diary…."

The headmaster quickly interrupted and said, "I think it is best to get young Miss Weasley off to Madam Pomfrey to be checked out. I would also suggest some bedrest after her ordeal. She will face no discipline from us regarding what has happened this year."

Mrs. Weasley pounced on that idea and quickly had their entire brood moving towards the hospital wing. Eventually, it was just Harry, Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"Minerva, I think it best if you announce the all clear to the rest of the school. It would also be a good idea to contact the elves and tell them to prepare a celebration feast for tonight. For now, the students can have lunch in their common rooms. I daresay the students would appreciate a good time after what has happened the past few months. It can also be a party for the return of our two petrified students."

After a questioning look at the headmaster, she nodded her agreement. "I'll get right on it." She then hurried out of the office to leave Harry alone with Dumbledore. When Harry had heard about the enchantment of the diary from Voldemort's shade, he had wondered how that was possible. He hoped he was about to find out but the way the headmaster had distracted them all, he suspected it was a secret that Dumbledore would keep to himself.

"Come, Harry, let us retire to my office to continue our conversation."

Harry turned to retrieve the items that he'd placed on McGonagall's desk only to find that the sword was gone. How could something so large disappear from next to him like that? He looked to the headmaster for an explanation but he looked as surprised as Harry felt.

"There was an old rumour that Gryffindor's sword was enchanted to appear to anyone of his lineage or who held his ideals if they had need of it. I presume it appeared when you were in desperate need?"

"Yes, professor. That's exactly what happened."

"I would guess then, that now that it is no longer required it has returned to whatever place it has been waiting all this time. Perhaps it will appear again someday when someone has great need."

Harry certainly had no other explanation for it so he nodded his agreement and collected the hat to go along with the diary and followed the headmaster to his office in silence. Dumbledore didn't even need to give a password to the gargoyle and they proceeded right up into his office.

* * *

Daphne paused for a moment to watch Harry and Ginny follow the phoenix down a hallway. She was watching for any hint of the Weasley girl making a move on Harry but the redhead was keeping to herself and looked distraught and distracted. She didn't want to think about why she was so concerned about what some other girl might want with Harry.

She shook her head to clear it and headed down to the dungeons, being careful to be quiet and to not be taken unawares by someone on patrol. When she got to the place where she could enter the Slytherin common room, she hesitated. She'd heard from Harry that McGonagall had sealed the Gryffindor entrance when nobody should be going in or out. She wondered if Snape could have done the same now. She decided that he didn't seem concerned enough about them to do something like that.

She gave the password and placed herself so she could see in as soon as possible. If she had any witnesses, she'd flee as quickly as she could and hope nobody discovered her. She considered it unlikely though as the entrance started with a hallway that had a bend in it. Only a small portion of the common room could see the door directly. She'd have no idea what to do if there were someone watching though. Where else could she go?

She suppressed a sigh of relief when the only person who could see the door was Tracey. In that moment, she was very glad she had a good friend like her. She had just entered while Tracey feigned disinterest when she heard someone begin to move. She moved to the far wall and froze and just after the door had closed, her head of house looked around the corner suspiciously. She didn't even dare breathe while he was peering around and didn't relax until he lost interest and disappeared back around the corner.

That had been way too close but she was appalled by Snape's foolish look towards the door. He'd have been dead if it was the basilisk and it was not a very Slytherin thing to do despite how unlikely it would be for the basilisk to be able to enter the door. Perhaps Malfoy wasn't the only one to be miss-sorted. Tracey suddenly began to push off the wall and turn towards the dorms and Daphne quickly realized that she was clearing the way for her to follow and get to the dorm undetected. She saw the other two members of her dorm sitting on a sofa. Poor Millie looked dreadfully bored while Pansy was going on about something.

They got there without issue and Daphne was caught in an unexpected embrace even before she'd gotten the cloak completely off. She had to comfort her friend when she babbled about being left behind, worrying, the bad influence of Gryffindors and the like. She just held her and let her wind down on her own. She knew she wouldn't have a serious issue with her friend, she just needed to vent.


	10. Of Freedom and House Elves

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Special thanks to my beta Shygui and thanks to all who are reading and especially reviewing. My story recommendation is Kissed by Sasansan1 and although it has just started, it has an interesting premise.

Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you. - Jean-Paul Sartre

Harry had just settled in a chair after Dumbledore sat behind his desk when the headmaster decided to get right to the point.

"I would very much like to hear the story of today's adventure from your perspective, Harry."

Harry had to be careful, he wanted no hint of Daphne to come up in his story. "Yes, Sir. It actually all fell into place for me when they announced that a student was missing and then asked for all of the Weasleys to be brought to Professor McGonagall. Ginny had been acting strangely and I realized it must be her. I had wondered if the strange behaviour of Lord Malfoy in the bookstore might be related as he held one of her books for over a minute. Anything could have happened in that time."

"As you know, the girl's loo on the second floor has been a key location both times the chamber has been opened. It only took a little questioning of Myrtle to discover where the basilisk that killed her had entered the loo. All I had to do is ask it to open in Parsletongue and there was an open pipe down to a tunnel that leads to the Chamber of Secrets. With your stone, it was easy to kill the basilisk. The shade of Voldemort was a little harder."

"However, I played dumb and he liked to talk about how clever he was a bit too much. I eventually realized the diary was the key. He admitted that he was taking Ginny's life force to reanimate himself but the process was not near completion. I knew he'd still be dependent on the diary. He didn't realize I knew until it was too late, he was too busy trying to distract me into attacking his shade with the sword. I knew that wouldn't work."

"When I first got the sword, I was wearing the hat, hoping it might speak to me again. Anyway, the sword announced itself by banging into my head." Harry paused and felt the lump on his head. "Still have a bit of bump up there. Then when I was trying to get the hat and sword off my head, the sword fell into the mouth of the basilisk and I saw it absorbing the venom. I think that is why it was so good at destroying the diary. The thing sizzled like it was being fried and a lot of ink came pouring out of it. That's why it looks like such a mess."

"I see, that was quite intelligent of you, Harry, you showed great cunning today."

"Thank you, Sir. The sorting hat had wanted to place me in Slytherin."

"Indeed?"

"Yes. Voldemort also remarked on our similarities. Both half-bloods, both orphans, the only two Parselmouths since Slytherin himself, even that we resembled each other."

"And how did you feel about that?"

"I can't say I liked being compared to the wanker that made me an orphan. I'll never act like him as I don't want to rule the world, I don't enjoy others' pain. I was curious about the Parselmouth part though. Is it really that rare? Were either of my parents Parselmouths?"

"Very good, Harry. I'm glad that you understand that. It is your choices that make you who you are. It would be hard to imagine you making the same choices that he did. As for Parselmouths, it is a very rare talent that tends to run in families. To my knowledge, neither of your parents had the gift."

"Then how did I get it?"

"I suspect that he gave you some of his power that night, not on purpose of course."

Harry nodded, deep in thought. He wasn't sure what to make of that but he was very curious about the enchantment of the diary so it was time to see if he could get Dumbledore to let anything slip. "He said he put a memory of himself in that diary but it was more than a memory. It was piece of himself in there. He was talking like he could come back to life and continue his plans."

Harry saw him peering at him but he continued to avoid looking him in the eye for any length of time. He'd heard enough about Legilimency from Daphne to know that would be a bad idea. He pretended to look down as if tired.

"There are things we don't know about the night he tried to kill you, things we may never know. Tom travelled the world to learn very dark and dangerous magic. Magic that is better left alone."

He was being put off again. He decided to take a shot and see if he may have guessed right.

"Is there magic involving souls?"

If he hadn't been looking at that moment, he would have missed it. A very slight reaction in his eyes and a short hesitation in his answer.

"Magic can be cast on just about anything Harry. Perhaps even on things we have not yet imagined. I think we are done for now, Harry. You will receive an award for special services to the school and say, 200 points... Yes, I think that is appropriate. You had best get on back to your common room. I imagine your friends are anxious to see you."

"Thank you, Sir."

Harry was about to open the door when he heard, "Where is your invisibility cloak?"

He threw what he hoped was a nonchalant look back over his shoulder as he answered, "It's in a safe place."

"Just a moment Harry. You may wish to get away from the door. We are about to have a visitor who is in a hurry."

Harry could not imagine what he was talking about but he did step back and was very glad of it as the door suddenly opened violently to admit a very irate Lucius Malfoy. The woebegone house elf hurrying to keep up with him while attempting to finish shining his shoes was also startling. Dobby may have gotten him hurt and in trouble, although he had to admit the second time he got him in trouble was more his fault than the elf's, but he had tried to protect him so Harry thought he owed him a favour back.

Harry wanted to repay the elf but also possibly gain himself a useful ally. Based on how easily Dobby could come and go, he'd be able to run all sorts of errands for him. Since the only way to free an elf was to trick Malfoy into giving him clothes, he needed some clothing and decided that a sock would do.

As the two older men discussed why Dumbledore was back, Harry took off one of his socks and got his shoe back on before anyone but Dobby could see. When he looked up, Dobby pointed to the diary that the men were now discussing and then at Malfoy. Harry nodded, he already knew and he didn't want to get the poor elf in needless trouble if Malfoy caught him at it. He also noted how Lucius reacted to the diary so that was just the thing he needed.

As soon as Malfoy had stomped out of the room, he hurried to the desk. "Professor, I'll bring this back. I just need it for a couple of minutes." He ran after the irate Lord Malfoy and the scurrying house elf before Dumbledore could even answer.

He caught up to them in the corridor just beyond the gargoyle as Malfoy was wasting some time kicking at Dobby, which just made Harry angrier. He nearly took out his wand but it wasn't time for that. He forced that inclination away as he shouted "Malfoy!" as he approached.

Lucius spun back and gave Harry a look of loathing. "I have no time for your schoolboy antics, Potter."

He thrust the diary into Lucius' free hand and quickly stepped back. He then did take out his wand but kept it pressed against his leg so it wasn't obvious. As he expected, Lucius had reflexively closed his hand on the diary and he was now glaring at it with distaste. At that moment, Harry mouthed 'take it' to Dobby and pointed to the book.

He'd taken a split second too long as Lucius was now glaring at him suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"That's the wrong question. The question is 'what did you do'? You gave a dangerous dark artefact to schoolgirl. You put the students of Hogwarts in danger for political gain."

"You don't know what you are talking about. You have to prove I gave it to the Weasley girl, giving it to me now proves nothing!"

"I never said who you were supposed to have given it to. I just said schoolgirl."

In that moment, Lucius' face gave it all away and he was obviously guilty. Then his face cleared as he responded. "Dumbledore mentioned her name, I just repeated it. Now, unless you have more proof…."

Lucius held the book out towards Harry and he took a step back as he tried to act with some fear. "I don't want that cursed thing back!"

Harry's eyes flicked to Dobby as he mentally pleaded for the elf to take it. Dobby was looking at him and slowly raised his hand toward the book to grasp it. Lucius looked down and shoved it towards him and let go. "Dobby can dispose of that trash. It has nothing to do with me."

Dobby was still looking between the book and Harry and looked surprised when Harry mimed opening the book. Dobby then did just that and it opened to a sock. Harry grinned as Dobby stared at it in shock.

Lucius then looked down and saw Dobby as he lifted the sock in awe. Dobby spoke with a voice filled with wonder, "Master has given Dobby a sock. Dobby is free."

Lucius turned a look of hatred towards Harry who promptly brandished his wand and prepared to cast a shield charm. Meanwhile, Lucius pulled his wand free from the top of his cane as he snarled, "You cost me a servant, boy. Now you will pay!"

Before either of them could do anything, a pulse of magic threw Malfoy back and the two pieces of his cane fell to the floor separately as the man himself fell back further away.

Dobby stood between the two facing Malfoy. "Former master will not harm Harry Potter! Former master must go now!"

Harry was astonished, he had never imagined the slightly dotty creature was capable of such anger. Apparently, Malfoy hadn't either. He looked cowed as he recovered and put his cane back together and started to leave.

After taking a few steps though, Malfoy turned back. "Mark my words, Potter. Some day you will meet the same sticky end as your parents. I will enjoy that day very much."

"Threatening a student of the school you are on the board of governors for? Whatever would people say if they heard that?"

"It will be my word against yours, fool. Nobody will believe a delusional child like you." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away.

Harry watched him as he disappeared. He wasn't sure he had enough to get him on the diary charge, but that last exchange should be enough to get him booted from the board of governors. At least, it would if there was any sanity left in the magical world. Sometimes he had doubts about that.

"Harry Potter has freed Dobby."

Harry looked down and smiled at Dobby. "I would like you to work for me, Dobby. I need help with doing errands and stuff. Are you interested?"

"Dobby could be Harry Potter's elf? Dobby would be honoured!" Dobby now looked as ecstatic as he could be.

"How much should I pay you?"

Dobby looked embarrassed. "There is no need for paying."

"I'd like my elf to be properly dressed. That pillowcase isn't good enough. I want my elf to look good. I can't give you clothes but you could buy clothes with the money or maybe buy the cloth and make your own."

"Dobby can make clothing. Dobby could make his own!"

Harry reached into his pocket and found two galleons and some change he had on him. "Here. I hope you can get what you need with this. Also, I will need a clothing catalogue from a store with high quality goods. Could you do that for me, Dobby?"

Dobby opened his hand but when Harry tried to drop the coins, Dobby grasped his hand instead. "Dobby wants to serve House Potter. Does Harry Potter accept Dobby?"

"Of course I do."

Harry was surprised to feel a pulse of magic from their joined hands. Dobby smiled shyly and finally accepted the coins. "Dobby is serving House Potter! Dobby will bring your catalogue master!" He then popped away before Harry could tell him to stop calling him 'master'. Harry decided there would be plenty of time for that later. Harry grinned, he thought he'd done pretty well just now. He hoped Daphne wouldn't find any flaws. He saw the diary abandoned on the floor but Dobby had kept his sock, oh well, he had more.

* * *

Albus wasn't quite sure what to make of this new version of Harry Potter. He was much more deliberate, observant and yes, cunning. He and Miss Greengrass must be in more contact than he ever imagined. He was also quite certain that Harry was no longer going to be as forthcoming from now on. He'd seemed careful about what he revealed and he had avoided his eyes as if he suspected Legilimency. That might have been a coincidence but he doubted it.

This new Harry was also more mature and self-aware than before. He was not worried about his common characteristics with Voldemort, he knew that those didn't matter in the long run. That was good for Harry but perhaps not good for what had to happen in the future. His plans were falling apart before his very eyes as they'd been designed for a more fragile and dependent version of Harry.

It would require drastic action to put his plans back on course and he was reluctant to do that. The poor boy had been through enough and he already bore enough responsibility for what Harry had suffered. The basic willingness to put his life on the line was still there, he had just demonstrated it yet again. Harry might just find his own path to what must be done so that was another reason to wait and see.

He also suspected that Harry was not as alone in his adventure as he pretended. He would have needed his invisibility cloak to sneak away and it seemed apparent that he no longer had it with him although he had no way of checking magically. He surmised that Miss Greengrass had used it to sneak back to her common room.

He hoped that he hadn't given Harry too much of a hint of what he had thought happened that night and he feared that this new Harry might figure it out too soon. That question about magic and souls had been quite deliberate, he was sure of that but he didn't think Harry had connected the two subjects yet. Giving him any more could result in revelations coming out much too early. He would have to watch Harry and Miss Greengrass more closely.

Just then he was alerted that Harry was on his way back up so he settled back in his chair in order to look properly at ease, especially when that was not the case. He barely got out the 'enter' after the knock and a rather pleased looking Harry Potter entered and came over to put the diary back on his desk. "Thank you, Professor. That worked out quite well. Oh, by the way, I'm going to have the basilisk harvested for potions ingredients and the like. I just wanted you to know."

He was so surprised that by the time he felt ready to ask a question, Harry was at the door. He decided to wait, whatever it was would eventually come to light. He was more curious about whatever he must have done with Lord Malfoy than the basilisk. He knew he couldn't interfere with right of conquest, Harry must have learned that from the Greengrass heiress as well. He'd be watching them very, very closely from now on.

He sighed and pulled out some parchment and a quill. In the meantime, he had a gamekeeper to get back from Azkaban.

* * *

Harry gave the password and stepped into the common room. What he saw made his good mood vanish. Why was everyone looking at him like hungry dogs look at a piece of meat? In that frozen second of silence, he began to wish Dobby was there so he could Apparate him away from this. Then all hell broke loose as everyone came at him shouting questions.

He had just managed to get everyone to calm down so he could tell them something when they all froze at hearing an announcement from McGonagall informing them that the emergency was over and all restrictions were lifted. She also announced that there would be no more classes that day and a celebration feast would happen that evening. It seemed like everyone decided to start the celebration right that moment.

To Harry's great relief, everyone left except his friends Hermione and Neville. They went over to a corner to sit down and talk. He reassured them that all of the Weasleys were fine although Ginny was badly shaken and they were probably still in the hospital wing with Ginny. He was very careful about eavesdroppers when he told them what happened, he refused to risk Daphne's part in it getting out. Fortunately, they saved a couple of sandwiches for him so Harry was able to tell the story while getting a slightly late lunch.

* * *

Nobody seemed surprised to see Daphne when she came out for lunch so she seemed to be in the clear. She knew Harry would keep his promise but she didn't know the youngest Weasley at all. The one in her year didn't inspire confidence and she was a little afraid of the twins. They enjoyed pranking Slytherins too much for her taste and she did her best to escape their notice. The one who was a prefect seemed honourable if a bit too full of himself.

She stuck with Tracey as usual but for some reason, Pansy seemed a bit more hostile than normal. She wondered what that bint had up her arse now. She wanted to get in touch with Harry anyway so she didn't hang around the common room long, she just brought the rest of her lunch with her.

When she had finished and got out her parchment Tracey made a comment that earned her a glare.

"Tell your boyfriend to leave you out of the next adventure."

"He didn't encourage me to come along, it was my decision to join him."

Tracey looked a little contrite as she murmured, "I just got worried."

"I know and I'm sorry. It's just that he's impulsive and things like this just seem to happen here."

Tracey huffed but gave her a small smile. "From what you told me, he seems to care about your wellbeing."

Daphne did her best to stifle a blush as she responded, "He does." She wrote when Tracey seemed to have nothing else to say.

 **Are you there?**

She had to wait over a minute, enough time for her to start to worry. She was relieved to finally see a response.

 **Yes. Sorry, I was still in the common room and had to head for the dorm.**

 **Have you had to face a lot of questions?**

 **Only at first. When McGonagall made her announcement most people were satisfied. I have only told Neville and Hermione what happened. Nobody else knows. I left you out of what I told Dumbledore but I think he knew I didn't have my cloak with me. It's possible he suspects.**

 **That can't be helped. I went with you to his office, we can't expect him to forget that.**

 **That may have been a mistake, sorry.**

 **I don't blame you so don't blame yourself. You didn't force me and I enjoyed using your cloak. I may just keep it.**

She added a smiley face so he'd know for sure that she was joking. She got more serious as she saw what he wrote next.

 **I ran into Lucius Malfoy after the talk with Dumbledore. I'm not sure I have anything to use against him about the diary. For a second he thought he'd made a slip, you should have seen the look on his face. Is there a way to share a memory with magic?**

 **Yes. My father has a pensieve, they're rare and expensive but they can store and show memories.**

 **Then we might have something for that. However, I'm pretty sure we can get him off the board of governors, he threatened me and was a right bastard.**

 **In front of Dumbledore?**

 **No, we were alone in the corridor outside his office. By the way, I have a house elf now.**

 **What? How?**

 **I tricked Malfoy into giving Dobby my sock. I hired him as soon as Dobby sent him on his way.**

 **A house elf made Lucius Malfoy leave?**

 **He sure did.**

 **I have GOT to see that!**

 **It was a sight to see, I'll say that.**

 **What do you mean you hired him?**

 **Well, I thought he wanted to be free but maybe he only wanted to get away from the Malfoys. He asked me if I accepted him and when I said yes, there was this burst of magic from our hands.**

 **That's how a house elf binds himself to serve a family. You didn't hire him, you own him now.**

 **Don't tell Hermione that!**

She let a chuckle escape that earned her an inquisitive glance from Tracey.

 **Your secret is safe with me. A house elf can be really helpful. I just hope he calms down, he seems like a bit of a nutter the way you've described him.**

 **He's OK – oh, he's here!**

 **What did he want?**

She had to wait about a minute but he eventually responded.

 **Same old Dobby. I gave him some change to get some fabric to make himself some clothes. You should see the dirty pillowcase he's been wearing. Anyway, I imagine whatever he makes for himself is going to be colourful based on what he showed me. I have a catalogue from Twilfitt and Tattings now too. I need more clothes.**

 **That's where I got the shirt and pants for you. They have good clothing. Do you want some help picking things out?**

 **Sure. You have good taste. I couldn't believe it when I opened that gift. It's the nicest clothing I've ever seen.**

 **You deserve it, Harry. Also, clothes help people form their opinion of you. How you dress is how you introduce yourself to the world. That's what my father says.**

 **I guess he's got a point. In addition to the catalogue, I also want to talk about what I learned from Dumbledore and Voldemort. I think there's some things we need to look into.**

 **You're right. I don't know what I missed that Dumbledore said but father is going to be very interested in what Voldemort said. Now we know we have the right man, he can try to learn even more about Tom Riddle. We probably can't get together today though. I hope things will be more normal tomorrow and we can meet at the old location, just you and I.**

 **I'd like that.**

Daphne couldn't help it, she had a smile that wouldn't go away. From Tracey's snicker, she had noticed but at least she wasn't teasing her.

* * *

Ron didn't miss how Hermione maneuvered herself to sit between him and Harry. He was sorry about how he'd reacted last night and he was pretty much over it. He wasn't sure how to make it up to Harry yet but she didn't have to separate then, he wasn't going to start anything, especially in public. She should give him a little credit.

As he was adding some bangers to his plate, he noticed some rather pleased discussions about points going around the table. He wondered about it for a moment when he remembered that Harry had earned 200 points yesterday. They must have a comfortable lead now, they hadn't been that far behind the leading Slytherins the last time he had noticed. He also noted some Daily Prophets being shared but had no interest in what they printed.

He checked the head table and saw that McGonagall looked as pleased as Snape looked sour. As much as he enjoyed that, he had to check for Malfoy's reaction. Oh yeah, he was in a right state, glaring at pretty much everyone, he was. Then he saw him throw a look of loathing his way but then he realized it was probably aimed at Hermione, not him. He looked over at her and saw that she wasn't paying any attention to the Slytherins, she was busy chatting with Parvati about something. That was good, she didn't need to see what that git was up to.

It wasn't until later that Hermione pointed out that someone was missing: their DADA professor. That did seem odd but he certainly wasn't going to miss Lockhart if he was gone. He was surprised when Dumbledore rose to make an announcement.

"If I could have everyone's attention for a moment." The headmaster paused for the students to quiet. "The board has reversed my suspension so I am back. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor seems to have disappeared…." He had to pause as a mixture of reactions came up from the crowd.

Suddenly one of the doors flew open and as Ron gazed that way in surprise, a slightly out of breath Lockhart walked in and made an announcement as if he was at a gathering in his honour. "Never fear! Your Defence professor just had to tidy up some things in chamber after vanquishing the basilisk! I will be available for classes and if anyone wants a signed photograph, well, all you need to do is ask."

Ron saw him pose with a big smile and couldn't believe it. Didn't everyone know that Harry had taken care of the basilisk? What was that berk playing at? There were a mixture of groans and sighs in reaction and Ron wondered why nobody called him on taking credit for what someone else had done.

He was surprised when he noticed that Hermione was muttering and looked even angrier than she had last night, and that was saying something in Ron's opinion. Then he noticed that Harry was holding her back from using her wand! He knew why she was angry, why wasn't she shouting at him though?

"Hermione?"

She abruptly turned her head to glare at him and he leaned back and raised his hands as if to protect himself. She huffed and then managed to get out a somewhat less angry response, "What is it, Ron?"

"Doesn't everyone know that Harry did it?"

Her glare hardened then she looked around while Ron finally began to realize he must have missed something. "What?"

Her response was a hissed whisper. "Nobody knows, Dumbledore kept it quiet. The Prophet only printed that the threat was over and the basilisk was dead. There was nothing on who did it."

Great. Ron reckoned that their next class would consist of him acting out how he slew the basilisk. "So Harry didn't tell anyone else?"

"Of course not!"

She was getting angrier again, he knew he'd better drop the subject so he didn't respond.

"The slimy berk will probably write a book about it too."

Ron looked at Hermione in shock at what she'd said. Apparently her crush on Lockhart was over. She looked like she wanted to kill him.

* * *

Other than the feast, Harry hadn't enjoyed much since Ron returned from being with the rest of his family. He had whined about missing the 'adventure' and was especially angry that it had been Daphne who'd gone with him. Harry was sorry he'd told him the story. He had stopped complaining when Harry had gotten tired of it but he was still giving Harry wounded looks that were driving him spare. It wasn't his fault that Snape took him away! What was he supposed to do about it?

Hermione had realized that Harry needed a break so she distracted Ron with a discussion of how far behind he was with his homework and Harry slipped away on his own. He headed to the hospital wing hoping to catch Ginny alone. He was afraid that he had misjudged her and wanted to give her another chance and help her if he could. He couldn't imagine having Voldemort in his head for months like that, the very thought of it made him shiver.

He made it to the doors and quietly opened the door and peered in. He saw Ginny's red hair about halfway down and she appeared to be alone. However, she might be sleeping and in that case he'd have to find something else to do. He quietly made his way over and just when he was about to decide that she was resting and he would leave, she turned and looked at him.

Her eyes had a haunted look and it made Harry's heart drop. This was exactly what he'd feared and he didn't really know how to make it better. Hermione always thought you needed to talk about stuff so that was one thing he could try.

"Would you mind a visitor?"

She just stared at him for a moment and he began to wonder if anything had changed. Then she gave him a rather unconvincing smile and murmured, "Hi Harry. How are you?"

He came over and sat in a chair that was already near her bed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" That got him a slightly more genuine smile.

"I'm OK."

"You don't have to pretend with me Ginny. I met Voldemort, even the older version of him, and he was quite a piece of work. Being only 16 wouldn't make it any more pleasant and I only talked to him for a few minutes."

She looked away and he almost didn't catch what she said. "I was so stupid."

"Hey. He fooled lots of people. He was a student here and he killed someone and made that diary what it was and nobody knew! Did you hear that they thought it was Hagrid? I can't believe they thought that. He was already fooling everyone Ginny, including adults. Don't just blame yourself, learn from this."

"What if I learned I was stupid and weak?"

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why had they left her alone while she was feeling like this? "Then I think you are trying to learn the wrong lesson, Ginny. Everyone is afraid of just his name and they probably never even met him much less having him in their head! He told me himself that you were _strong_ , Ginny, and that you ruined his plans. That isn't stupid or weak, that is strong and brave. You're in Gryffindor for a reason, Ginny. The hat must have seen how brave you can be. You even proved it to Voldemort himself. I won't put up with anyone calling you stupid or weak, not even you, Ginny."

While he was speaking, Ginny had slowly turned her head back to him and stared at him in surprise. When he stopped talking, she hesitantly responded.

"You really believe that?"

"I don't just believe it, Ginny. I _know_ it."

She looked down at her hands clasped in front of her. "I still remember stuff from him. Spells, all of the things he told me. I'm afraid that he'll come back. I thought I hid him away and I was free but he was still there. I have nightmares…."

She closed her eyes and Harry could tell she was fighting tears. Harry was starting to get accustomed to this whole touching thing and it seemed now was an appropriate moment. He reached out and covered her hands with one of his. "You just need time. Don't try to hold it all inside. Talk to people like Madam Pomfrey or even me if you want. I will listen and I won't judge you, Ginny."

She had startled when she felt his hand but kept her eyes on their hands even when she answered him. "I'm sorry how I treated you before, Harry. I was trying to protect you. Tom was getting very interested in you and it scared me. I didn't want you hurt."

"That tells me a lot about you Ginny. You care about other people and that's a good thing. That's something that Voldemort would never understand."

Ginny started to give him a grateful look when her eyes widened and she stared behind him and began to blush. Harry almost went for his wand but turned around first and was glad he'd done that. Pulling his wand on his head of house would have gotten him into more trouble than he wanted.

Her expression was bland but her eyes looked like she was pleased. "Sorry to interrupt. I came to speak to Miss Weasley but I'd like a private word with you first, Mr. Potter."

"Certainly, professor."

Harry's mind was in overdrive, wondering how much she'd heard. He couldn't think of anything he'd said that would get him in trouble and she didn't look angry so he tried to relax. He followed her away from Ginny but they didn't go that far before she stopped and with a quick wave of her wand, she turned to face him. Harry was already impressed, that must have been a silent privacy charm.

She actually had a small smile when she began to speak. "This is the second time I have found you being a good friend, Mr. Potter. You also give very good advice. Miss Weasley and I will have regular meetings over tea, I intend to take good care of her. I want to take good care of everyone in my house."

He felt proud at first but then became uncertain when she gave him a significant look at her last sentence. "Is something wrong, professor?"

"That is my question for you, Mr. Potter. Has the headmaster been treating you fairly? Has he been putting any pressure on you? Is he forcing you to do things you don't want to do?"

Those were such loaded questions. He was beginning to have doubts about the headmaster's motives but he had nothing substantive he was willing to point at for complaint. He was very glad that the question had been raised but he had no answer for it or not yet, anyway. "I have nothing to complain about now, Professor. However, if you ever had some time, I'd love to hear stories about my parents." Harry was fairly shocked when that brought a chuckle out of his normally stern head of house.

"I can tell you right now that your mother would be proud, very proud of how you treat your friends. I can tell you a lot about your mother's achievements and you might want to speak with Professor Flitwick as well, she worked closely with him on a charms mastery. Most of my stories about your father would not be as favourable. He got in a lot of mischief while he was here and I have no idea how many times I had to give him detention. I can tell you though, that he grew up to be a fine man. He gave the ultimate sacrifice that a man can give for his family. Never forget that, whatever else you might hear about him."

"Now, I will need some privacy with Miss Weasley but I will be in touch, Mr. Potter. I would very much enjoy having tea with you, as often as would be practical with our schedules."

"Thank you, professor."

Harry looked at Ginny, whom he caught staring at them. She blushed as he waved goodbye and then turned towards the doors. That had been a very eye-opening conversation he'd had with McGonagall. He wasn't sure yet if he would approach her about the headmaster, but the fact that he could do that was now apparent. He might just have an ally that he might need someday.

* * *

Minerva watched Harry as he made his way to the door. Even though he had said nothing about Albus, she saw something in his eyes. It had been disturbing in two different ways. First, it confirmed that Harry did have some reason for grievance against Albus but that he was not ready to say anything yet. However, she had also seen that he was considering her as well.

She had let him down very badly last year, she saw that now. She had blindly followed Albus' directions to divert students from the third floor corridor at all costs. It was obvious to her now that he'd tried to do the right thing and bring a breach in security to her attention yet she had rebuffed him. She was now paying the price for her blind faith in the headmaster. She had let down one of her lions and she would not allow that to happen again. Sooner or later though, she'd need an ally if she was going to oppose Albus. She thought she had just the man for the job in mind. Time would tell.

She turned to a timid looking first year trying not to watch her too obviously. It was time to shed the stern demeanour. She let out one of her rare genuine smiles and saw the effect it had on young Ginny already. She had to focus on her for now but she would not forget Harry. Not again.

* * *

When McGonagall left, Ginny considered her last two visitors. Things had been looking bleak and now she had two people offering to help her. Her father had tried to do the same but he wasn't here and couldn't be away from his job too much. All her mother wanted to do is smother her and keep offering to take her home. If she left, she wasn't sure she'd be able to come back so that offer went nowhere. She had looked forward to coming to Hogwarts too long to go back in defeat, not even for this.

She thought she'd lost her chances with Harry completely. She'd seen him tending to that Slytherin and not looking at her. His priority was obvious but she couldn't blame him. Greengrass had been helping him and she was so pretty. Even in her Hogwarts robes, Ginny could see that Greengrass was starting to develop so how could plain, flat, uninteresting Ginny compete? She'd also felt him stiffen when she grabbed onto him to cry down in the chamber.

However, after she had pushed him away and endangered the whole school, he'd come to her and offered to help. In some ways, he was nothing like she expected but in the important ways, he was exactly what she had expected. He could be a very good friend and she'd try her best to be a good friend back. Who knows, maybe Greengrass would get tired of him one day. School romances usually didn't work out so maybe she'd have her chance again someday. For now, she'd be his friend and that was a very good thing.

* * *

Harry felt better as he went to dinner. First and foremost, he'd be able to see Daphne again soon but he had other reasons for optimism. His visit had gone well with Ginny and even better with McGonagall. Not only that, but Ron had come as close to apologizing as he could but he had a strong suspicion that Hermione had helped guide him to that point. Ron was trying to be a better friend, he'd give him credit for that. His marks for actually being a good friend would be rather mediocre though.

He pushed that aside and decided to linger over pudding to relax before heading for the room to meet Daphne. His friends eventually finished too so they followed him as he left. He glanced at the Slytherin table and was pretty sure he'd seen Daphne still there. He didn't want to be obvious that he was looking so he'd had to make do with a very quick glance.

He had a head start so he took his time getting to the room. It felt odd to not have his cloak so he was a little more self-conscious and alert. That's when he saw one of the paintings staring at him and when he looked back the person in the painting quickly looked away. Certainly not very subtle but he decided it was nothing to worry about. He was finally feeling in a good mood and didn't want to lose it over anything unimportant.

When he arrived in the empty room, he started to walk towards his usual desk but then stopped himself. He was feeling a bit restless so stayed standing and then wandered about the room taking his first close look at where they had been meeting. Other than the space they'd been using, it looked like this room hadn't been used in decades. Was this storage or did they actually use this room sometime in the past? Why were there so many unused rooms? Was the population of students declining? Did there used to be more classes and professors?

His questions disappeared from his mind as he turned towards the door that was opening. He was very pleased to see Daphne and she looked quite pleased herself. She only paused to send her usual two spells at the door and then walked directly towards him instead of towards her usual desk. He was wondering why right up until the moment that she gave him a hug.

Harry felt his face heating up. He was starting to like hugs but this was unexpected. Fortunately, some part of his brain was smart enough to return the hug while he was busy wondering why this was happening. When she let go, he noticed that she seemed shy and there was more than a little pink in her cheeks too. That only made Harry more confused though as why would she do something she found embarrassing?

She sat and turned to him and said, "So, what did I miss? With Riddle and Dumbledore I mean."

That was a much better subject than 'why did you hug me?' He knew how to deal with this subject. "You didn't miss much with Riddle. After he stunned you, he used Avada Kedavra on the rooster but then I noticed he seemed weaker. I tried to duel him but he was too fast. That's when I got desperate and remembered what Dumbledore said just before he left. I was silently asking for help and then there was Fawkes with the sorting hat. Riddle thought it was funny and I wasn't sure what to do."

"Anyway, the hat had talked to me during the sorting so I thought it might be able to help me that way but it never said a thing. I was starting to feel like an idiot wearing the hat and thinking 'I need help' when suddenly something heavy and hard hit me top of the head. I tried to get it off my head and it fell right into the mouth of the basilisk. That's how close that thing got before it died."

"I had no idea what it was then but I saw that it seemed to be absorbing the basilisk venom so I knew it was special. It was Riddle who told me what it was and this is one of the things I wanted to talk about. He called it a trophy and he said he could use it to continue his legacy, whatever that meant."

Daphne looked thoughtful and then responded. "That's interesting compared with something else we know about him but we can get into that later. Please finish the story."

"OK. It looked like he really wanted it so I grabbed it but I didn't know what to do with it. It's not like you can stab a spirit. Riddle was even taunting me, trying to provoke me into attacking with the sword and I remembered what you said about focusing on what is important and not what your enemy wants you to focus on. I knew I was missing something but then I remembered what he said about the diary."

Daphne gave him a brilliant smile that made something odd happen in Harry's chest. "Very good, Harry. I told you that you were getting better."

It took Harry a moment to recover from his reaction. "I stabbed the diary with sword and I was surprised how easy it was, it even went a little into the rock floor. The diary sizzled like the sword was hot but I thought it might be the venom and then Riddle disappeared. I woke you up as Ginny was waking up and you know the rest."

"Good, now tell me about Dumbledore."

"He was very intent on not talking about how the diary was enchanted. He not only cut off Mr. Weasley, he also avoided my question later. I brought up how Riddle said it was a memory but you can't recreate a person from just a memory but he avoided an answer. I wanted to try to bring up a suspicion of mine and he didn't like my question about soul magic."

"Soul magic? Harry, that was only mentioned to me as something that is better left alone. Soul magic is very dangerous. Maybe he was trying to steer you away from trouble."

Harry pondered that but was unconvinced. "Maybe but that isn't the impression I got. He doesn't want us to know anything about that diary."

"I'll have to discuss this with father. I really don't know what to think. If it involves soul magic, that makes this seem even more dangerous." She bit her lip in thought then turned to Harry again. "Anything else?"

"Well, there's the sword. It disappeared after I laid it down on the desk. Dumbledore said he'd heard it was able to be called by someone in great need either by a descendent of Gryffindor or someone who shared his ideals. He thought it went back to wherever it waited."

"We also talked about choices. He thought that my common characteristics with Riddle don't mean much since we make different choices and I agree with that. The other interesting bit was about being a Parselmouth. He said it's rare and tends to run in families but when I asked he said neither of my parents was a Parselmouth. He said that Voldemort accidently transferred some of his power to me."

Daphne looked stunned. "Really? Did he say how?"

"No. He acted like he didn't know but I'm not sure I believe him."

"That is odd." She pondered for a few moments more before asking, "Anything else?"

"Only the part with Malfoy that I already told you about."

"Oh! I forgot!" She dug into her book bag and turned back holding out his cloak and a stoppered vial.

Harry accepted his cloak with a smile but wondered about the vial. "What's the vial for?"

"Father wants your memory of your interaction with Malfoy. Only that part. He might use it for a trial or to show someone else so he doesn't want anything extra."

"How do I do that?"

"First you concentrate on the memory then you put your wand up to your temple and pull it back." She mimed doing that with her finger. "Then if it works, you drop it in the vial. Here, I'll hold it for you."

She removed the stopper from the vial and held it out to him. Harry hesitated so she spoke again. "You only take a copy of the memory so it will still be there, you won't forget."

Harry nodded and got out his wand and tried to focus on only his interaction with Malfoy. When he thought he'd succeeded, he put his wand to his head momentarily and then pulled it away to see a silvery thing dangling from his wand. He wasn't sure if it was liquid or gas as it seemed to act like both at the same time.

"You did it on your first try!" Daphne sounded impressed. "Here, put it over the vial and then tap your wand on the edge to make it let go."

Harry did just that and watched it continue to act strangely as Daphne put the stopper back on.

"Are you OK with someone else seeing this?"

Harry thought for a moment before responding. He wanted to make sure nothing too personal was in there. If he'd only copied what he'd thought about, he was fine with it. "Is there a way to check that I only copied what I intended?"

"No, sorry. We'd need a pensieve for that."

"It's OK. Making sure Malfoy pays for what he's done is important."

For just a moment, she looked embarrassed again. "So, ummm, I guess we should talk about what happened."

"Yeah, so what did you think?"

She looked very seriously at him. "First of all, you are nothing like Riddle. Don't ever think that."

"I know, I talked to Dumbledore about that. We make different choices so there are just some unimportant similarities. The difference is that _I'm_ not the one who made _him_ an orphan."

"Exactly. I thought the part about what your mother did was very important. I know what he's talking about and my father agrees. It is very ancient, basic magic. She sacrificed herself for you and that is very powerful magic. That's why touching you went so badly for Quirrell, the magic is still there, protecting you to this day. Your mother gave you a very potent gift, it can help you defeat Voldemort."

Harry understood all she was saying but he still felt the loss and stared down at his hands. He almost startled when her hand covered his. "I know it's not a pleasant subject, Harry, but it is important."

"I know and I agree with you. It is important."

Daphne's cheeks coloured a bit as she removed her hand and she looked away slightly as she continued. "As for the diary itself, my father and I had thought it was layered with compulsions to make her do what Riddle wanted. Destroying the diary also destroyed the compulsions but now I'm not so sure."

"I have the same problem with that as I do with Riddle saying it was a memory. How could he become great again from just a memory or a bunch of compulsions? It seems to me it would take a soul to do that. That's why I asked about soul magic."

'You mean he expected to live again?"

"Exactly. I mean, what could a spirit do with a sword? Why would it help him with his legacy?"

Daphne paled and appeared to be deep in thought. Harry knew she would come up with an answer. She was as intelligent as Hermione and knew even more about magic. She shook her head and sighed. "I have to talk to my father about this. I don't know much about soul magic and I'm not sure how much my father even knows. He may have to talk to his friend in the Department of Mysteries."

She gave him a serious look as she said, "I don't have an answer for you right now, Harry."

"That's OK, I don't expect you to have all of the answers. You've helped me more than I can ever repay already."

Daphne blushed. "Harry, we're friends! You don't have to repay friends!"

"I know. I just want to help you too."

"You do help me already Harry." She was giving him an unnerving look and then shook her head as if to clear it before speaking again.

"About the sword and his legacy, it may relate to the two other missing relics of the founders. I don't know why but he wants to collect them or use them somehow. I'm hoping that father may think of something."

Harry nodded so she continued.

"I have a couple of lighter subjects. First, Draco is in a real snit, he's been rude to everyone and got detention from Sprout of all people due to his attitude." She laughed along with Harry for a moment. "I knew you'd like that one. The other is the house points war between Snape and McGonagall. Did you hear about it?"

"As you know, I didn't have Potions today but I did have Transfiguration. I wondered why she was so generous with points today. Pavarti even got 20 points for her penmanship. I didn't get any for my penmanship though, a true travesty of justice, that."

That got Daphne laughing again and when she reached out and put her hand on his arm it made him flush again. Somehow it was embarrassing and invigorating at the same time, which made no sense to Harry.

"You may have to settle for getting points for your spell work, Harry."

"Ha. Ha. I did get 25, 20 for spell work and 5 for answering a question."

"There you go. You're a powerful wizard, Harry."

That look she was giving him was making him feel hot again. Maybe he needed to learn a cooling charm but for now, he'd settle for changing the subject. "There was something from first year that Dumbledore said that I'm still wondering about. Voldemort said he'd come to kill me, not my parents. When I asked Dumbledore why, he refused to answer and said I was too young." Harry felt is indignation rise when he said the last part.

"He came for you?"

Harry was surprised by the look on her face, she appeared appalled. He'd had an unhealthy interest in killing Harry all along, why was she so affected? He shrugged, "It's nothing new."

"Harry, that is new. He isn't after you because you defeated him, he was after you from the beginning. Why would he come after a baby? The only reason I can think of is a prophecy!"

"A prophecy?" He was vaguely aware of Divination as a course available to him next year but he'd never really thought about that branch of magic.

"The Department of Mysteries keeps copies of all prophecies and anyone named in them has the right to hear it. My father may be able to arrange that for you."

"I had no idea." Harry had no notion of what to think. Was there some prophecy about him and Voldemort? If there was, Voldemort certainly didn't like what it said.

"So, what was that potion you haven't told me about? Was a ghost helping you with it?"

"Oh, no! She was a pest and no help at all. Also, most of the credit for the potion should go to Hermione, I just helped out and finished it. We brewed Polyjuice Potion."

"Polyjuice? You do know that is a restricted potion, don't you? You Gryffindors are such rebels."

Harry blushed while she smirked at him. He didn't know what to say so Daphne spoke again.

"Why did you need it?"

"We were planning to go in as Slytherins to see if Malfoy was the heir. After what you told me, we abandoned the plan."

"You still have it then? It could be useful but you have to store it carefully."

"Yes and Hermione looked that up, we have four doses worth being kept fresh and no plan to use them."

Daphne pondered for a few moments but then huffed and dug in her book bag again. "Sorry, I almost forgot something else." She brought out a scrap of parchment and gave it to him. "Father arranged for someone to harvest the basilisk. Officially, they are working for you. Here is the information on them. They will contact you for arrangements for you to take them down to the chamber."

"Right, thanks." Harry looked at the names and they meant nothing to him.

"It's a company run by a Muggleborn. Father has used them before and they do good work."

"That's good."

"So, did anything happen since you wrote to me?"

"Oh! Right! I talked to Ginny and McGonagall. Ginny was a little depressed but I think I got through to her. However, the talk with McGonagall went great. She's going to be looking after Ginny and she asked me if Dumbledore is treating me OK. I think she's beginning to suspect that he might not have my best interests at heart. We may have an ally, Daphne."

"That's great Harry! As your head of house, she could have a lot of influence but she reports to the headmaster, you have to consider that too."

"She's pretty strong willed, she might go against him but you're right. She isn't the solution, not by herself anyway."

She seemed a little too stoic like she was hiding something when she spoke. "About Ginny, do you think she fancies you now?"

Harry suppressed a grimace, why were they on this subject again? "I'm not sure. Maybe."

"What if she does?"

He was way off into uncharted territory for him, maybe he should turn this back onto her. "I don't know. What do you suggest?"

"Do you think you could fancy her?"

This was getting worse! "I don't think I'm ready. I also am not sure how I feel about her. She was rude earlier but she says she was trying to protect me from Riddle, which makes sense. Plus, she's my mate's sister. I think that could be awkward. Do you think I need to do something?"

"No. If you're not ready then you don't have to do anything. If she makes things awkward, you can talk to me about it."

"Ok, I can do that." It was definitely time for a distraction. "I have the catalogue with me, want to help me out?"

She was eager for that plan and she brought their desks close together so they could both peruse the catalogue. He gradually got accustomed to how close she was as they discussed various options and he made a list of what he thought he should get. Fortunately, she got side-tracked on the women's side of the catalogue and found a jumper she liked. He made a note of that too. Chocolates were not enough for her birthday.

The distraction to clothing backfired on him though while they were looking at robes that he felt were too fancy for what he'd need. That led to a comment that floored him.

"They'd be great for you to wear when you meet my parents."

His mind ground to a screeching halt. Meet her parents? When was he going to meet her parents? "Ummm, Daphne…. When would I be meeting your parents?"

He saw her grow pale while her eyes widened, then she started turning red. When she covered her face with her hands, he began to become concerned. "Daphne, is something wrong?"

She groaned in response but finally dropped her hands and looked at him sheepishly. "This isn't the way I wanted to tell you. This summer, we want you to come to Greengrass Manor. You won't have to see those Muggles again."

Actually, that sounded promising to him. He was still a little stuck on the 'meet her parents' part though. "Not going back to the Dursleys sounds good. Dumbledore says I have to go back though."

"Dumbledore doesn't get to choose in this case. The headmaster can act as guardian for an orphan while they are at school but he has no jurisdiction when you are home. He was never officially appointed your guardian by the Ministry. However, father is afraid of what will happen if he tries to become your official guardian. Others could get involved and Dumbledore still has a lot of power. We won't ask permission. You'll just come with me."

"Do they really want me there though?"

"Absolutely! My mother is dying to meet you. My father is very interested in meeting you too. Harry, I want you to be with me this summer. Don't you want to be with me?"

"Of course! It's just that I know what it's like when people don't really want to be there and your parents shouldn't have to take me in." Harry tried not to tense up when she took his hand again.

"Harry, my mother could have been your godmother. She was as close to your Mother as Alice Longbottom was. They chose Mrs. Longbottom because of the familial alliance. My parents want you there, I want you there. Please come."

He was excited and scared all at once but realized there was one person she hadn't mentioned. "And your sister?"

"She'll love you too. She just didn't understand what was going on with our family. I'll make sure mother explains it to her before you ever see her. She'll be fine. Are you saying no?"

She looked hurt so he hurried to correct her impression. "No! I'm saying yes. I'm a little nervous about meeting your parents but I'd love to come and stay with you. I just… I don't want to be a bother."

"Harry, we will prove to you that not all families are like those Muggles you got stuck with. We want you with us."

Harry couldn't think of what to say. He felt like he was blushing but he also had what was probably a big goofy grin. This had to be one of the best moments of his life.


	11. Rules of Attraction

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks for reading and reviewing and special thanks to Shygui for being a great beta.

Love isn't a decision. It's a feeling. If we could decide who we loved, it would be much simpler, but much less magical - Trey Parker

Daphne had noticed the implications of her feelings and actions from the moment she had realized Harry was going to the chamber. She just hadn't wanted to acknowledge them. The next time she'd seen him in their private room, she just had to hug him, no other greeting would satisfy her. That was also the moment that she'd been forced to realize that Tracey had been correct. She fancied Harry Potter.

He was Harry Potter: The boy who lived, the Gryffindor Golden Boy and whatever other crazy title you wanted to give him. She didn't care about the titles, the fame and his probable great wealth. She cared about the boy who'd been abused and yet was able to contend with everything that a vicious fate cared to throw at him and still be such a good friend to anyone who offered to be his friend.

Harry was amazing and she'd known that for a while now. He was also an amazing friend and she now wanted to find out if he was an amazing boyfriend but she'd have to wait. As nervous as she'd been to find out if he fancied Weasley, she'd had to hide her reaction to his statement that he wasn't ready.

That wasn't shocking news. Her mother had told her that at this age, girls tended to be more mature than boys. It was, however, very disheartening. She wanted Harry as more than a friend yet for now, she couldn't have him. On the other hand, Harry as a friend was great too and she still had that.

She had tried to write off her feelings as just hormones. However, 'just hormones' would mean she'd be mooning over boys in general yet that was not the case. She still had great disdain for most boys and the ones that weren't gits still didn't attract her. One look at Harry Potter though and she was a puddle of love-struck goo. She was in deep and her stubbornness had let her be blindsided by this. Daphne Greengrass, the ice queen of Slytherin wanted and even needed a boy.

Part of her wanted to shake her head in despair but most of her was still exhilarated. Sure, she would have to bide her time but the boy she liked did like her back. He just wasn't as ready for the rest of it yet.

She had known how he'd react to her invitation for the summer. The way his so-called family had treated him made him feel worthless and unwanted. She had understood that but still she couldn't help but feel a little insecure when he didn't embrace the chance to stay with them immediately. By the end though, she knew how happy he was. That smile on his face told her a lot. She would remember that moment for the rest of her life, she was sure of that.

She was nearing the Slytherin quarters now and she still had to face Tracey. She just knew that Tracey would have several versions of 'I told you so' ready but she could take that. She had the memory of Harry's smile in her heart and nothing could take that away.

She gave the common room a cursory glance when she entered but she saw no evidence of Tracey. Without Daphne, it had been very unlikely that her half-blood friend would brave the unfriendly confines of the common room. She continued on to their dorm room and there was her friend, apparently peering at an essay with a book open beside her. As Tracey looked up at her, a friendly smile bloomed on her face and Daphne couldn't help but return it.

Tracey's teasing smile appeared as she asked, "So, how was your time with your boyfriend?"

Daphne sighed before replying. "Before he'd be my boyfriend, he'd have to be ready for dating."

She saw Tracey's face fade into disappointment. "He's not?"

Daphne shook her head somewhat mournfully.

"You're going to wait for him, right?"

"Of course."

Tracey gave her a dazzling smile. "Way to go, Daph!"

Daphne wasn't disappointed but she was surprised. "What? No 'I told you so'?"

"Nope. Just a hug." Tracey gave her a mischievous smile as she opened her arms and Daphne came in for a hug. Daphne may not have a lot of friends but she knew she was very lucky to have the ones she had.

* * *

Harry was having trouble controlling his big grin. In fact, his face was starting to hurt. He had to get this under control though, if he went into the common room like this, he'd attract too much attention. He stopped near Gryffindor tower and concentrated on what he'd tell his friends. He was a little concerned about both Ron and Hermione but for different reasons. He wasn't sure delivering his news would be easy and that took the smile off his face.

He decided that he was as ready as he'd ever be so he took a deep breath and entered the common room to see his three friends studying together in their usual corner. Also as usual, there wasn't anyone close enough to eavesdrop.

Hermione spoke up first when he sat down. "Any news?"

"Not really. We talked about what happened with it all – Voldemort, Dumbledore and Malfoy but haven't come to any conclusions yet. Her father will try to get Malfoy off the board of governors."

Ron was nodding and said, "Good."

"This next part can't get out to anyone."

His friends exchanged puzzled looks and it was Hermione who replied, "Of course, Harry. We already agreed to that."

"Daphne invited me to stay with her family this summer. I'm not going back to the Dursleys."

He could tell from her face exactly what Hermione was going to say. "But Harry, Dumbledore says you have to stay with your family for safety reasons."

He was putting a stop to his immediately. "Does he get to tell you where you live?"

"But, Harry…."

Harry got more intense. "Does he?"

He saw her begin to waver and she glanced at both of the other boys and apparently saw no support. She sighed and said, "No."

"He doesn't get to tell me where to live either. I have no guardian appointed, they checked. Dumbledore has no more say over me than anyone else."

"You're sure you'll be safe?"

He saw concern in her eyes so he eased up. "Of course. They're an old family, they'll be as well protected as any other and more than most. Daphne has told me about their wards and how careful her family has been."

He glanced at the others, Neville seemed calm and accepting but Ron was so pale that his freckles were really standing out. Harry asked, "What's wrong?"

"Does this mean you won't visit the Burrow?"

"This means it will be easier for me to visit, Ron. You're all still my friends, this just keeps me away from the Dursleys. It will be my best summer ever for that reason alone."

He saw Hermione giving him a contemplative look but then she just nodded and smiled but didn't say a word. Harry suppressed a sigh of relief. He checked the time and it was rather late already. He was pretty well caught up on homework so he decided to call it an early night and see if he could arrange things with Dobby.

That turned out to be easy as Dobby had access to his Gringotts account due their magical binding and he'd done similar things for the Malfoys before. The next day, he'd probably have everything he needed, including the last part of Daphne's gift. As a bonus, Harry found out that Dobby could get an account statement for him too. He'd probably need to budget to have his money last for five more years.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore nonchalantly walked the halls until he came to an unused classroom across from the charms classroom. He examined the door and then went inside to inspect there too. There were obvious signs of use as two desks had been cleaned and pulled together. The door had shown traces of both locking and privacy charms. The portraits had been correct, this is where Daphne and Harry were meeting.

It was interesting how quickly Harry was picking up on being more thoughtful and cunning, when he'd heard the story from the portraits of how Harry had manipulated Malfoy, he'd been impressed. Then engaging the services of a house elf had shown even more forethought. Harry was becoming more imposing and that was a good thing in general. However, he did wonder if Harry would figure out the secret of his scar sooner than Albus would like. He still seemed inclined to sacrifice himself if needed, just as his mother had done. He had probably miscalculated when he went by Harry's looks instead of the intelligence in his eyes. In an important way, he was his mother's son and not just for eye colour.

He was still surprised by this association between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. However, he did recall that Lily and Roxanne, the mothers of these two, had seemed friendly when they had been in school. No matter how carefully one plans, an unknown factor can always undo it and that was the case here.

He briefly considered arranging a way to eavesdrop on them but eventually discarded it as his initial inclinations had been leading him astray and another path seemed indicated. Since his plan was in tatters, the prophecy must have some other way to fulfil itself. He'd just have to figure out how to ensure it was fulfilled the correct way. For now, he would content himself with watching from afar. If more active surveillance became necessary in the future, he'd see to it then so he left the room undisturbed.

* * *

Harry heard a minor disturbance among those at the Gryffindor table and looked around to see what it was about. Then he saw a rather pale Ginny walking uncertainly towards the table and she sat a short distance away by herself. She wasn't alone for long though as her twin brothers came over and sat on either side of her and she managed to look both annoyed and worried at the same time. However, her look turned more towards amusement as they bantered between them. It wasn't until she glanced towards Harry that she blushed, looked down and then started filling her plate with breakfast.

"She's been released."

Harry looked over towards Ron who seemed to be taking this too lightly in Harry's view so he spoke up. "We'll have to watch over her, make sure she's not alone if she has a nightmare."

That got Hermione's attention. "She has nightmares?"

Harry nodded and said, "I imagine that she has plenty of memories to trigger nightmares." Ron looked a bit ill, Neville looked sad and Hermione was nodding in agreement. Harry looked between them and suggested, "Maybe we should take turns being on call if she needs company at night."

The others nodded except for Ron who looked concerned. When he noticed Harry looking at him, he responded. "Yeah. I guess we should."

Harry's breakfast was interrupted again, this time by a strange owl. When he took the letter it turned out to be from the company that would harvest the basilisk. Since the owl was waiting, he gave it some bacon and the owl just looked at it like he had no idea what it was. Harry responded that he'd be available next Saturday morning and fastened it to the patiently waiting bird. When Harry saw the untouched bacon, he ate it himself.

They had DADA class that day and as often happened, Harry was called up to be part of Lockhart's 'play'. However, in this case he got to play the basilisk that Gilderoy claimed to have recently killed. Harry was tempted to insult him in Parseltongue but given his uneven record for actually speaking it, he decided not to try. He certainly didn't want another detention answering the ponce's fan mail. Harry noticed Hermione glaring at the professor and had to hide his amusement. If looks could kill, they'd need a new DADA professor again.

Things started to take an unsettling turn when Lockhart told Harry to stay behind after class. He gave his friends a concerned look and they were slow to leave and Lockhart finally had to shoo them away. Harry controlled his emotions with Occlumency and sat in his desk and eyed the professor warily.

"Now, now, Harry. No reason to be suspicious. This is just a little celebrity to celebrity talk."

Harry suppressed a groan. Not more advice on how to be famous, he'd had enough of that the first time!

"So, tell me Harry. How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Kill the basilisk, of course."

If he hadn't started using Occlumency to calm himself, he probably would have given the game away. Instead he played dumb. "How could I kill a basilisk?"

"That's what I asked you."

"What? What basilisk? I didn't kill any basilisk."

"Harry, Harry, Harry. There is no reason for such false modesty between us."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Harry did not like how Lockhart was acting. He may be trying to act nice and charming but he got the feeling that the man was very serious about this. He did not want this coming out, especially through Lockhart of all people. Besides, the man had already publicly taken credit for the deed, why was he after Harry about it? Harry had done nothing to dispute his claim and never planned to do that.

"Ah, Harry. You are much too tense. Here, I have just the libation for you. It's from my private stock." Harry watched dubiously as the professor poured something into a glass from a bottle he'd had in his desk. He'd gotten enough lessons on being careful from Daphne that there was no way he'd drink anything from him, especially while he was acting that way.

"Sorry, professor. I really don't have time for this. My friends are waiting."

That finally seemed to get through to Lockhart as he threw a worried look towards the door. The man was pretty obvious and Harry really wanted to get out of this situation. The man threw him a calculating look but then turned on his smarmy smile and responded.

"Quite right. I shouldn't keep you waiting. Off you go then, Harry. We can talk some other time."

Not if Harry could help it. He had to talk to somebody about this. Since he had Transfiguration later that day, the choice of who to talk to was easy.

Transfiguration class gave Harry a reason to be in a good mood again. Not only had he gotten an "O" on his essay, he'd been the first to get the transfiguration done although Hermione wasn't far behind. She just rolled her eyes at him as she grinned, he'd known she wouldn't get mad at him for doing well and it was obvious that she was pleased.

Harry was rather obvious about being in no hurry to leave at the end of class so Hermione came over to whisper, "Lockhart?" Harry nodded and she smiled and nodded back. When Ron looked confused she encouraged him to head out in front of her, which only made him more confused. He'd leave Ron to her as he had attracted attention from his Transfiguration professor who regarded him curiously.

"Are you anxious to meet for tea, Mr. Potter?"

"No, Professor. This is about a rather unnerving encounter I had with Professor Lockhart. He tried to get information from me about the basilisk even though I insisted I didn't know what he was talking about. It got even creepier when he tried to get me to drink something he'd had in his desk. He was trying to be charming but I became concerned about what he was up to."

He'd watched her as he spoke and she started out curious but became more concerned as he continued. When he was finished, she frowned and seemed to be deep in thought. Her face cleared and she looked at him seriously.

"This was bound to make the rounds of the rumour mill but this could be problematic. I have a suspicion about what he is up to. Do not worry, Mr. Potter, I will handle him. He won't give you any more trouble."

"Thank you, Professor. I was also curious about any school funds that accept donations. For example, helping poor students and for upgrading school brooms."

She gave him a puzzled look but she answered. "We accept donations for both. I'm sure your parents set aside plenty of money for your education but you should make sure you have enough for yourself."

"I'll be coming into some money soon so I won't be donating anything that my parents left for me."

She looked curious but didn't ask. "Very well, Mr. Potter. Anything you can contribute will be appreciated."

"Thank you again, Professor."

"Good bye, Mr. Potter."

When Harry got back to the dorm, he found a package on his bed. There was a flash of magic when he touched it and a parchment appeared on top of it. He knew what would be in the package so he checked the parchment first. It was a statement from Gringotts and he had to sit down as he realized that a budget was the last thing he needed to worry about. The vault he had seen was a small part of his holdings and was replenished to a level of 50,000 galleons every year. The numbers he was seeing for his other vault were so big it boggled his mind. He was rich; literally bloody, filthy rich.

* * *

Dinner was a little odd. Lockhart was very subdued and kept looking at McGonagall even though she seemed to ignore his existence totally. She must have had quite a talk with him but that was a brilliant thing in Harry's view. The twins tried to entertain Ginny like they had at breakfast but she was quiet and rarely reacted. As the meal went on, the twins looked at each other over her head more frequently, it was rather obvious that their plan was no longer working.

Harry had seen Ron glance at Ginny and the twins occasionally but he didn't say or do anything. Harry looked around for Percy but didn't see him. When Hermione gave him a concerned look, he knew she was thinking the same as him. Harry looked toward the Slytherin table but never saw Daphne looking their way. He had some homework to catch up on and he was thinking about how to approach Ginny himself so he hadn't contacted Daphne that day.

When Ginny was ready to leave, the twins, Harry's friends and even Percy gathered and went up with her. Harry could tell she wasn't very happy about it but he hoped she'd understand and accept it. Somehow the twins managed to clear a sofa and nearby chairs so the whole group was able to sit down together.

Feeling that she would be less likely to argue with him, Harry decided to start things off when nobody else seized the opportunity right away. "Ginny, if you wake up from a nightmare, we want you to wake one of us so you won't be alone." Ginny's reaction was to look gobsmacked and then to blush furiously. Harry was distracted from watching her reaction by the irritated voice of Percy.

"This is a family matter. This shouldn't be any of your concern."

Harry had to control his initial reaction but some of his anger came through in his tone. "Have you ever talked to Voldemort?"

Percy was obviously taken aback. "Well, no, of course not."

"I have. Twice. I know what that wanker is like. Do you?"

Percy didn't seem to know what to say and when he looked at his brothers, Harry did too. The twins were glaring at Percy and Ron looked irritated as well. One of the twins spoke up and unlike usual, there was no twin-speak. "Percy, if you want to be a pain in the arse, you can leave and the rest of us will handle this."

Harry saw Percy blushing and looking sheepish so Harry turned back to regard Ginny. She looked like she was pondering a difficult problem and when she noticed him looking at her, she asked, "Who exactly is included in this offer?"

"Everyone who volunteers." Harry immediately raised his hand and as Ginny gazed around, so did Harry. All of the Weasley brothers and Harry's friends had their hands raised as well. Ginny was looking impressed so Harry wanted to continue before she came up with some objection. "There's enough of us so you don't have worry about bothering any one of us too much. I'm first on the right, Ron is first on the left and Neville is second on the right."

One of the twins added, "First two on the right."

Percy added, "Second on the left."

Hermione was last. "All the way on the end but my roommates are heavy sleepers. If you ever need a girl's point of view, pick me. I won't mind."

Ginny was looking down and blushing. Harry waited a little while but she seemed speechless. He didn't want her to feel intimidated so he asked, "Are you OK with this? Will you wake one of us if you have trouble sleeping?"

Ginny looked a little teary-eyed when she looked up but her voice was stronger than Harry expected. "I'll do it and thank you. Thank you all." She looked at the rest of them at the end.

They chatted a little but broke up so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed. Besides, Harry had some homework to catch up on to keep his word on doing his best. The usual foursome reconvened at their usual table and quietly worked together. Harry managed to catch up entirely but felt tired at the end. It was getting close to bedtime anyway so he headed up as he wanted to write to Daphne. He didn't want to go the whole day with no contact.

He changed for bed, pulled his curtains, muttered a privacy spell and got out what he needed to contact Daphne.

 **Are you awake?**

 **Of course, just finishing up an essay. How was your day?**

 **Pretty good. Yours?**

 **Not bad. I don't have any news, do you?**

 **Some. Ginny was released and her brothers and my friends and I are going to be available if she has trouble sleeping. She has nightmares.**

 **I can imagine. That git was bad enough just listening to him, I wouldn't want him in my head.**

 **Also, Lockhart got a little creepy with me, he tried to get information about how I killed the basilisk even though I denied it. He even tried to get me to drink something. I talked to McGonagall about it and she must have done a good job of warning him off.**

 **So that's why he acted weird during dinner!**

 **Yes. Hopefully, he'll leave me alone during class. He keeps picking me for his plays.**

 **He tried to pick me once. I gave him my best glare and he chose someone else.**

Harry snickered, he could just picture her doing that and he had to tease her about it.

 **How Slytherin of you!**

 **I was sorted here for a reason, Potter!**

 **Do you have plans for your birthday?**

 **Not really.**

 **I could arrange a small party if you want.**

Harry noticed a slight delay but she finally responded.

 **Who would attend?**

 **Just our friends.**

 **Could we leave Weasley out of it?**

 **He kind of excluded himself with how he behaved. I'll take care of that.**

 **In that case, it sounds fantastic. Our usual room?**

 **Sure. You can tell Tracey, I'll handle the rest.**

 **Sounds good. Thank you!**

 **My pleasure. It's getting late so I better say good night.**

 **Good night, Harry.**

Harry put things away and since he'd already put up a privacy spell, he called Dobby as he had things to arrange and he no longer had to worry about budgets. This was going to be so fun!

* * *

Harry let Professor Flitwick's natural enthusiasm for teaching reassure him about how he would respond to Harry's request. By the time the class was over and his three friends hung back with him, he was pretty sure he'd get a positive response. He began to wonder if Filius had noticed them remaining when the small professor looked up from putting a book away and gave him a curious smile.

"Are you four going to ask me something or do you just like this room so much?"

Harry felt a little heat in his face but recognized it for the good-natured teasing that it was. He had been lollygagging, he ought to get to the point.

"We were wondering if you would mind giving us some pointers or even some training on learning to duel?"

That earned him an intrigued look from the professor. "Apparently, the subject must really appeal to you despite what happened in the sorry attempt at a duelling club by a certain other professor."

Harry felt even more heat in his face but was more determined than ever. "It's become rather obvious that Voldemort wants me dead. I think some preparation would be wise."

The diminutive professor's eyes narrowed before flicking to his companions. "First of all, there is a difference between duelling and fighting. There are no rules in fighting. I take it you three want the same preparation?"

Harry turned towards Hermione when she cleared her throat. "We're Harry's friends. Where he goes we go, especially anything involving Voldemort. When he faces him again, we will be there." Harry saw Neville nodding emphatically on Hermione's other side. Ron was somewhat behind with a determined look on his face.

A small smile appeared on Flitwick's face as he turned to look at Harry again. "You have very loyal friends, Mr. Potter. You need to treasure them."

"I do, Professor, I really do. If you do agree to train us, there are two more who would like to join as well."

"Really? And why aren't they here now?"

"They're in Slytherin. It would be awkward for them to be seen with Gryffindors openly."

A look of astonishment appeared on the professor's face. "And who might they be?"

"Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. Obviously, we would need some discretion about us being together."

"I agree. Certain… elements within Slytherin would object strongly to such an affiliation. I would normally require some show of strong intent before attempting any private instruction but that is obviously not an issue in this case. Given everyone's busy schedules, I would suggest we start with one meeting a week on a weekend. Do you have a preference?"

"I already have a commitment for this Saturday but Sunday would work for me." Harry looked to his friends and they all nodded agreement.

"In that case, we can meet at 1PM on Sunday. There is a large unused classroom one floor up that was once used for this purpose. Hopefully, it can be ready for use with minimal work. Are you familiar with it?"

Harry pondered what he had found in his excursions the prior year and thought he knew which one he meant. "The one near the moving stairway?"

"That's the one. I look forward to seeing you and all of your friends on Sunday then. I'll bring a few books that you can borrow as well."

Harry knew without looking that Hermione must be intrigued by that. On the other hand, he was anxious to get his hands on them too.

* * *

Ron Weasley pondered the mess he'd gotten himself into. He realized that he was paying what felt like dearly for his poor reaction to the Slytherins. He was excluded from a future party with his friends and to make it a little bit worse was that there must be some treats involved that he'd miss as well. If he wanted to keep his friendship with the other Gryffindors, he'd have to up his game. The problem was, he was very bad at recognizing pivotal moments as he certainly hadn't noticed the one where he got into this trouble.

At least he was still invited to this excursion to harvest the basilisk. The Gryffindor foursome were making their way down to the entrance to meet the contractors who would do the work. Hermione was anxious for any historical significance in this but he suspected that Neville's motive was like his: being there for Harry. Well, they were a bit curious too, obviously.

He'd have to stick with Harry as much as possible and prove that he was still a useful and loyal friend. When the next important moment came, he'd have to do the right thing and not be sulky or irritable. He didn't know how much more of that Harry might tolerate. He felt that he was too close to exclusion and his margin for error was very narrow.

* * *

Daphne knew it was silly but she was worried about Harry returning to the chamber. He'd be with adults who knew exactly what they were doing and the monster was certainly dead so he and his friends would be fine. If she could be seen with him though, she'd be there in a heartbeat. This waiting was killing her. For once Tracey was supportive rather than teasing, at least she had that keeping her sane.

She barely suppressed her sigh of relief when she saw Harry was writing to her. Tracey's only reaction was, "I told you he'd be fine." She didn't even waste a moment throwing her a glare, she stared at her parchment as his message formed.

 **We made it back all in one piece. Unfortunately, other than the basilisk, there wasn't much to find there. We took a while as Dumbledore was doing detection spells all over the place and we didn't want to miss anything.**

She frowned, part of that was unexpected.

 **Dumbledore was there?**

 **Yes, he was curious plus the group doing the harvesting needed help with the portkey. It may have been outside the castle but it was still within the wards around the school.**

 **I never thought of a portkey but that was a good idea. That place wasn't exactly a great place to work. So there was nothing else there?**

 **Not exactly. We eventually found a suite and an office back behind the statue, behind the chamber where the basilisk lived. However, they were long abandoned and there was nothing of interest left there. We did find another way to enter the office though. There's a portal to the hallway near your common room. If you want to see it, I could take you that way.**

She considered that but an empty office didn't seem all that enticing.

 **I think I'll pass. How did the others react?**

 **Hermione was pretty excited but by the end even she was disappointed. It was kind of cool to be in the private chambers of one of the founders but there was nothing there. I was surprised by Ron, he was quiet and serious. He nearly swore when he saw the basilisk though. Neville was kind of like Hermione but lost interest quicker. Oh! I just thought of one more thing. It turned out that there could be stairs up and down the big pipe, we didn't have to slide down after all.**

 **Ugh! Now you tell me!**

 **You cleaned us up when we got down, it wasn't that bad.**

 **I was teasing and you're right about the dirt. However, the slide down was a little scary.**

 **Sorry, I didn't know about the stairs then.**

 **Don't worry, I'm not angry. How did Dumbledore act?**

 **He was excited at first. I think he might have been trying to get me to like him more or something. He did tell us a funny story during a boring part. When he was young, he was so focussed on using magical detection spells once that he walked right into a stairway without noticing and fell down a whole flight of steps. He called it a lesson on using your eyes as well as your magic. He was also pretty cautious, he kept conjuring a crowing rooster. I found it a little funny but Hermione was not amused.**

 **No offense to Hermione but I think she needs a hobby. She gets a little too wound up.**

 **You're probably right but I think she is getting better, she gave up on that SPEW stuff. Before the guy in charge left with the basilisk, he said I'd probably net over 3 million galleons for it. That's a fortune, isn't it?**

 **You're not kidding, a whole family could live on that for decades and still have a lot left over.**

 **Half of it is yours.**

She tried but she couldn't stop her gasp of surprise, which caught Tracey's attention.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ummm…. No. I was just surprised."

Tracey narrowed her eyes at her. "So he's OK?"

"Yes, he's fine, they are all fine."

"Good."

Tracey still looked a little dubious but she didn't want to leave Harry hanging too long.

 **Daphne?**

Too late, he noticed that she paused too long. How was she going to tell him though? This was so embarrassing!

 **Harry, this is a little embarrassing and I guess I need to explain this. It isn't bad so don't worry.**

 **Now you have me worried.**

 **Sorry! It's just that offering a large sum of money like that to me could be interpreted as offering a bride price.**

She waited for his response but nothing came. Now it was her turn to wonder what happened.

 **Harry?**

 **Sorry, I wasn't sure how to respond. I'm still not, actually.**

 **You don't have to give me any of the money, you know.**

 **You took half the risk, you should get half of the reward. Technically, you should get all of it.**

 **No! I would never have done that without you. Half is more than fair. I will just have to figure out how to explain this without letting them know I went down there with you. I also have to make sure they understand it isn't an offer of a bride price.**

 **That never occurred to me. I didn't know they still did that in magical society.**

 **It's like marriage contracts, some families do and some don't.**

 **If it's a problem, I could hold the money until you're of age. You wouldn't have to explain it at all then, right?**

 **Right. Just let me think about it. You're very generous, you know.**

 **No, I just want to do what's right.**

 **Modest, too.**

 **Are you trying to make me blush?**

 **Is it working?**

She laughed when he drew a smiley face and especially when he added some colour on the cheeks.


	12. Relationships Worth Waiting For

A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading and special thanks to Shygui for helping to make this story worth reading.

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. - Roald Dahl

Harry opened the door and stopped in shock. He took another couple of steps into the room when he felt Hermione run into his back. As he looked around in wonder he saw both Hermione and Neville looking around too with similar gobsmacked looks. He literally didn't recognize the room. Everywhere he looked, there were decorations of every sort. It sort of looked like an explosion happened at a party supplies store.

He finally noticed a table in the middle of the room with a huge birthday cake, biscuits, plates, utensils, cups, pitchers of what appeared to be various juices and a large teapot with some teacups. It was everything he could have wanted, just more of it than they needed. He'd told Dobby that the party was for five people. Only five! Not dozens! This was all too much.

Hermione was the first to say something and it wasn't particularly profound. "Wow!"

Harry chuckled and he was pretty sure he heard Neville laughing too. "I told him it was for five people. I really did."

Harry was startled to hear a forlorn, squeaky voice. "Harry Potter Sir doesn't like it?"

He spun to see a devastated looking house elf. "It's not that I don't like it, Dobby. It's that there is so much more than we need."

"Dobby can clean up whatever Sir's friends don't need. Dobby will take care of everything!"

Harry sighed, He supposed 'Sir' was better than 'Master'. The main point now was to reassure Dobby.

"It's fine, Dobby. I am very pleased. You just might want to get some other elves to help you clean up. I don't you want to be overworked."

"Dobby used magic, Sir. Dobby is not being tired! Dobby did all this himself, Sir! Dobby can clean it all up too!"

"That's fine then, Dobby. You exceeded my expectations."

Dobby beamed at him before saying, "Just call Dobby if you be needing something!" He then promptly Disapparated.

He saw a disgruntled look on Hermione's face. "I tried to make sure he didn't work too hard but you heard him, Hermione. It's hard to stop a determined house elf."

"I guess…."

Both Harry and Hermione were surprised to hear someone behind them. "Oh, my!"

Harry turned to the open doorway and saw Tracey and Daphne looking around like they had minutes ago.

Harry chuckled before mock-shouting, "Surprise!"

Daphne gave him a grin before responding. "Yes, quite surprising. You've outdone yourself."

"Dobby did it, not me."

"He's still excitable, I see."

"Yep."

She rolled her eyes at him playfully before turning and sending the usual two spells at the now-closed door. Harry saw Tracey hold up a wrapped package with an inquisitive look and he pointed at a table in the back which already held some gifts. She nodded and headed over there as Daphne turned back to see where her friend was headed.

She gave Harry a big smile and said, "Presents!"

"Of course, wouldn't be a birthday party without gifts, would it?"

As she got closer, she brought up her left wrist and Harry wondered why until he spotted the bracelet that he'd given her.

"You wore it!"

She playfully rolled her eyes before responding. "Of course I did! I told you that I liked it." She paused and then asked, "So what's the plan?"

Harry was still trying to recover from embarrassment when he said, "Whatever you want. It's your day so you get to decide."

Harry was enjoying Daphne's smile when Tracey started to chuckle. "Now you did it. Does that mean the rest of us should leave to give you two some privacy?"

Daphne immediately started blushing and turned on her friend. "Tracey! How could you say that!?"

Harry was too busy trying to overcome his own embarrassment to say anything while the others started laughing. Tracey winked at her friend and added, "I was just trying to liven up the party."

Daphne was glaring at her as she responded, "There are better ways of doing that."

Harry cleared his throat. "What would you like to do?"

Before Daphne could reply, Tracey made a suggestion. "We could tell funny stories."

Daphne glared at her again. "You are not telling any stories!"

Hermione spoke up with, "We could sing happy birthday."

Harry gulped. "Erm, I'm not sure hearing me try to sing would be a good thing."

Daphne gave him a serious look and moved to stand very close to him and whispered. "If it was those awful Muggles who raised you who told you that, don't believe them."

* * *

When Tracey saw Daphne approach harry, she quickly drew Hermione aside and whispered to her, "Daphne finally admitted to herself that she fancies Harry."

Hermione smiled broadly and whispered back, "I knew it. I'm happy for them."

"Do you think Harry is ready for dating?"

Hermione's smile faded. She looked towards her friend in quiet conversation with Daphne and bit her lip as she pondered the question. She sighed as she came to her conclusion. "Probably not but with a little encouragement, I think he could be ready soon."

"That's what I was hoping. Daphne says she going to wait for him."

Hermione's smile came back. It was about time that Harry got a chance at some happiness.

* * *

Neville saw the other four pair up and began to wonder what he should do. He wasn't too surprised at seeing Daphne with Harry. He had begun to wonder if they were a couple. He wasn't sure it was official yet but it certainly seemed to be headed that way in his opinion.

He wasn't sure if he was ready for that himself. Since he'd started having some real friends though, he'd begun to think of his duty to find the new Lady Longbottom. Maybe there was someone out there who'd want to be with him. It didn't seem as outrageous of an idea as it would have seemed just two months ago.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a tentative touch to his arm and turned to see Tracey. She was giving him a big smile and her eyes seemed full of merriment. The image was so enticing that he just gaped at her and had nothing to say.

"Feeling lonely there, Neville?"

Oh, she expected him to talk. He had to get his brain in gear. "Ummm, I'm OK. I'm used to it."

That brought the hint of frown to her face and he didn't think that suited her at all. "It's definitely not OK, Neville. This is a party. We're supposed to have fun together."

At that moment, he saw Hermione watching them off to the side with a smile as her eyes flicked between them. Oh, was she thinking that he and Tracey...? Neville swallowed and forced himself to smile. He'd get through this somehow.

* * *

Daphne happened to take Hermione's gift first, thinking it might be just a card. What she saw when she opened the envelope though, was a gift certificate for Twilfitt and Tattings and the amount was unexpected. She was very surprised at such an expensive gift from someone she had just met officially and was adjusting to considering a friend.

"This was very generous, Hermione. Thank you very much. I will have no trouble finding something to buy with this."

"Harry helped me get it. Between Hedwig and Dobby it seems Harry can get just about anything these days."

Daphne turned to see her giving Harry a teasing look and when she glanced at Harry she saw his embarrassed smile. Her smile grew as she saw Harry looking pleased. She noticed both Hermione and Tracey giving her knowing looks so she decided to get to the next present quickly as a distraction.

The next one was from Neville and based on the shape as she was unwrapping it, she suspected it was a hand mirror. However, what she saw first was the back and it had a detailed rendering of the Greengrass family crest on the back. She could tell it was high quality and she spun it around to see the mirror was flawless. Suddenly she heard him say, "Say magnify."

She gave him a puzzled look but complied. She saw the reflection change in her peripheral vision and when she looked at it was surprised to see a closer look at herself.

"Just say 'normal' for it to go back to the usual view."

She tried that and it worked just as he said. It was obvious that Neville had spared no expense either and she felt bad that she'd never sought him out until her mother urged her to do so. There was a lot more to Neville than Herbology and shyness.

"Thank you, Neville. This is very nice. I will use it a lot."

While she was looking at a blushing Neville she noticed Tracey giving him a significant look. She hid a smile, finally she had something to tease her back about.

She saw two gifts left and wanted to save Harry's for last. She took the one that she had seen Tracey carrying. She opened it with an expectant smile and froze when she saw what it was. It was frilly, not very opaque and small. It wouldn't cover much at all. She quickly closed the box back up and glared at her friend. She tried to use her most sarcastic voice.

"Tracey, you really shouldn't have. Really, you shouldn't."

That didn't faze her friend in the least. "Aren't you going to show it to everyone?" Naturally, her eyes wandered in Harry's direction.

"No."

She finally risked a glance at Harry and fortunately for her, he looked completely clueless as his gaze wandered between the two Slytherins. Daphne quickly buried the box beneath the other gifts and took Harry's gift, which was obviously in two parts but bound with a pretty red ribbon. She couldn't help but smile at Harry as she began to open it. She was amused to see him blushing again although he looked slightly nervous. She'd make sure to thank him enough to ease any concerns he might have.

She opened the smaller gift and was pleased to see a large package of Honeyduke's finest chocolate. She loved chocolate and held up towards him with a big smile. "You can buy me chocolate anytime, Harry." His answering blush and smile made her want to hug him but she resisted. She had to open the bigger package now.

She opened it to see an elegant jumper. She was pleased to see it but when she held it up, she recognized it. She turned to Harry and announced, "Harry! You caught me looking at this! You're so sneaky!"

She saw a flash of amusement on his face before he answered. "I thought the word was supposed to be cunning, not sneaky."

"Oh, you!" She had originally approached him to give him a playful swat to the arm but somehow it became a hug. She suddenly remembered their audience and let him go quickly with a blush. She didn't dare look towards Tracey, she knew all too well what to expect. She had to stop doing this to herself. In fact, she might have to find a way to stop all of this, it was all starting to become a little overwhelming. She may have to wait but she needed a better way to wait.

* * *

Filius Flitwick slowly walked on his way to the room where his private instruction of Harry Potter and his friends would occur within an hour. None of them were in his house so he had only thought of them in terms of being charms students. However, having accepted giving them private instruction he now felt compelled to think of them as being part of his responsibility like his Ravenclaws.

He had thought about Harry Potter before, how could he not? However, he had pushed those thoughts away as he strongly doubted that Minerva would appreciate him going to her about one of the members of her house. However, he was now thinking he had made a mistake. The boy had looked malnourished and shy and emotionally fragile. Coming to a boarding school can have the latter effects but he'd felt that there was something else there. He looked better now and in fact, he'd been impressed by Harry's recent progress in his class. Mr. Potter was shaping up to be an excellent student.

He'd also had some concerns about young Mr. Longbottom. However, he knew who had raised him and wasn't all that surprised. Dowager Longbottom had not been one of his students (he wasn't that old!) but he had heard about her through the years. She was a demanding and uncompromising woman and didn't seem like the sort who would show affection easily. Poor Neville had never been given a chance to build his confidence.

However, that too seemed to be changing. He wondered if the way he had seemed to associate more closely with Harry, Hermione and Ronald had made the difference. At the very least, it may be a factor. He was still a little concerned about Neville's sporadic ability with magic. His improvement in theoretical work was not resulting in a change in his practical work and he may have to take this opportunity to look for a reason why.

Then there was Miss Granger, an overachiever who would have made a fine Ravenclaw. Like all Muggleborns she had entered school with a disadvantage but she was making up ground quickly. He expected some of his Ravenclaws to be surpassed by the driven Gryffindor this year. She could be a factor in Mr. Longbottom's improvement but she had not influenced Harry or at least had not until partway into their second years, which he had no explanation for.

Then there was the youngest Weasley boy. He hadn't been impressed during the boy's first year but he'd seemed slightly better this year but he also improved a little with the rest around the end of November. Why? The addition of a boy with little confidence couldn't be the factor. What could it have been?

The other wildcard here was the addition of two Slytherins. When did they enter the picture? Miss Davis had never stood out to him. She was a good student who gave good effort but magically she was rather average. Her best friend could be the explanation. She wasn't just a good student, she had pushed one of his Ravenclaws hard and barely lost out on the top spot in their first year. Based on Miss Greengrass' efforts this year, he suspected she'd take the top spot. Did she become friends with them around the end of November? Was he reading too much into her association with the Gryffindors?

They were all good questions but he had no justification for an investigation as none of them were in his house. Unfortunately, a talk with the Slytherin head of house would not be productive. On the other hand, he was on good terms with Minerva so he really needed to converse with her. He suddenly realized that he was standing in the room but not doing anything. It was time to focus on what he needed to do to make this room safer for duelling.

* * *

Harry led his friends into the room Flitwick had mentioned and was impressed at what he saw. The room was cleaned up and the professor was busy casting spells at the walls. He turned to look at the Gryffindors and said, "I was just freshening up some charms for safety. I should be ready soon but I see that we are still missing two of your group anyway."

As the professor returned to his work, Harry answered. "They should be here soon, professor. Daphne is punctual and we are a little early."

Flitwick was still casting a couple of minutes later when the two Slytherins arrived. Harry noticed that Daphne had her public 'ice queen' persona going again. He didn't think too much of it as she might take a little while to let her guard down with a professor. Filius seemed to finish and turned to look at them.

"Everyone is here then and room is now ready. First of all, I want to be certain I know what training the six of you want. Is there anyone here interested in duelling rather than fighting?"

Harry shook his head and saw everyone else doing the same.

"Very well, then. There is some overlap between the two, of course, and we will concentrate on those for now. There are three components involved: physical, mental and magical. You must be physically fit and if you are, you will have an advantage over a lot of the wizards and witches you might face. If you are fit enough, you can be more mobile than you opponent and instead of shielding, you can dodge. You can also move to give yourself better angles or even make use of any cover available. Since in fighting, there some spells that you cannot shield against, I strongly urge any of you serious about fighting to start working out regularly. Running can be very useful but some other exercise to increase endurance is good too."

"The second component is mental. You want to be unpredictable. You want to have a variety of useful spells that you can depend on. You also have to be creative. For example, in one duel, I actually used the 'scourgify' spell. Can anyone think of a reason why?"

Harry was still pondering when he saw Daphne raise her hand. He saw the professor smile and call on her with, "Miss Greengrass."

"Your opponent conjured something that you had to remove."

"Exactly! My opponent conjured a strong irritant towards me, which is legal in duelling, and I had to quickly remove it. That is part of the reason to know a variety of spells but it is also why you must be able to be creative. How one might one use an 'aguamenti' spell?"

Harry raised his hand immediately and the professor smiled and said, "Mr. Potter."

"You could make the floor wet around your opponent and then freeze it into ice."

"Correct! I once had an opponent who liked to do just that. However, that made her predictable. I blocked the water back towards her and she was the one left trying to stand on ice. While she was trying to get rid of it, I stunned her."

"The last component is magical. That is the only way a lot of people will attack you so you must know how to dodge, shield and if you are hit, how to counter them. For every offensive spell I will teach you, I will teach you the counter, if there is one. If you don't know any healing or counters, the first wound could determine the fight. In a fight, your opponent will not show mercy, especially if you are dealing with Voldemort or one of his Death Eaters."

"This is my most important warning to you. When you are fighting for your life, hesitating or showing mercy can get you killed. In a fight, your main responsibility is to survive. If you don't have a reason to stay, leave. If fleeing can save you, do it. This is especially important if you are outnumbered. It isn't brave to fall to superior numbers if you could have fled, it's stupid."

Harry saw how serious the professor was and knew he should take all of it to heart. He glanced at the others and saw they were all serious and listening. Even without any training yet, it was obvious to him that this had been a very good idea. It came from a discussion with Daphne so this is another thing he had to thank her for.

"My assignment to you for this week and as long as we do this is to exercise, especially running. Build up not only your physical endurance but also your magical endurance. Magic is like a muscle, the more you use it, the easier it is and the longer that you can keep doing it. Also, practice every spell until it comes naturally to you. No matter how useful or appropriate a spell is, it won't help you if you can't cast it under duress. If your spell fails, you have just given your opponent an opening to attack you."

"Is there anyone who does not know the 'Protego' shield spell?" Harry and the rest didn't react. "Is there anyone who does not know 'Expelliarmus'?" Again, everyone remained still. "Very good. Those are the only spells that you will do today. I first want to pair you up for some casting but before you all start, I want two volunteers to start us out so I can observe and make suggestions. Then we can proceed with everyone. Any volunteers?"

Harry immediately looked toward Daphne and saw her looking at him. She raised her hand so he raised his. Flitwick seemed both surprised and pleased as he spoke next. "Mr. Potter and Miss Greengrass will be the first. Miss Greengrass, you stand here and Mr. Potter you will be here. Remember, you can only use those two spells but I don't want to see you stand there and take turns casting. Try to pretend you are in a real fight. Are you both ready?"

Harry nodded with a smile but Daphne remained very stoic when she nodded. "Start on three… One… Two… Three!"

At the same time, Daphne yelled "Expelliarmus" while Harry yelled "Protego!" In the next instant his spell cancelled out hers and Harry yelled "Expelliarmus!" Daphne barely had time to widen her eyes in surprise when her wand was ripped from her hand and she was hit with the spell hard enough to lose her balance and fall on her bum. She stared at Harry with a hint of astonishment in her face. There was a trace of a blush as she got back up off the floor.

"Are you alright, Miss Greengrass?"

Not much showed on her face but Harry could tell she wished that he hadn't asked. "I'm fine, professor."

"Then can you tell me what you did wrong?"

Her shoulders slumped slightly. "I didn't have my next spell ready. I also didn't expect Harry to be so fast."

"Very good. If you learn something, then this is time well spent. Next, I have a general observation. Shouting your spells does not make them more effective. I realize that adrenaline can make you do things without thinking but shouting out your spell doesn't really help. Focus and intent are what is important, not volume. Once you begin NEWT classes, you are encouraged to learn to do spells silently. Can anyone tell me why?"

Harry was just raising his hand when the professor was already pointing behind him and saying, "Mr. Weasley."

"Umm, so your opponent doesn't know what you are casting. You can better catch them by surprise."

"Exactly! Since you are all only in your second year, I won't expect you to cast silently. However, I do encourage you to cast as quietly as you can. Now, the rest of you pair up and assume your places."

Harry reached over to hand Daphne her wand and she took it quickly but didn't look at him. He reckoned that she might be embarrassed so he looked over towards the others. Tracey had immediately asked Neville to be her opponent and that left Ron and Hermione looking at each other uncertainly.

Harry had to focus on Daphne as she was a determined opponent. However, she had trouble matching the speed he had developed with casting so he won most of their encounters. He couldn't help noticing that Ron and Hermione were awkward with each other and that Flitwick had to encourage them to be more aggressive. He felt bad for Neville as it was evident that he was faring poorly against Tracey although she seemed to be trying to give him a chance.

When one of their bouts ended, Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione had stopped and were looking at Flitwick who was talking to Neville. Harry heard Flitwick already speaking.

"… you cannot do your best with a wand that hasn't chosen you. If you are serious about fighting, this wand won't do. I'm not saying to throw it away, I'm saying you need one of your own for school and for fighting. This one could get you killed in a fight."

Neville sighed heavily. "I understand. I'll talk to Gran about getting a new one."

"Very good, Mr. Longbottom. I'm looking forward to improvement in you practical work to compare to the improvement I've seen on the theory side."

Harry was glad to see Neville brighten after Flitwick's response. Flitwick noticed that everyone had stopped so he checked the time and started talking.

"OK, everyone. I think that is enough for today. Everyone take one of the duelling training manuals I have over there. Everything in it about training applies equally to fighting. Just ignore anything it says about duelling rules as they won't apply. I think this was an excellent start and I want to hear about your training plans next week at this time. Enjoy the rest of your weekend."

They all thanked the professor for his time and he left as they took copies of the manuals he had left for them. After getting his copy, Harry asked, "What did everyone think?"

All but two showed enthusiasm, with Hermione being the most enthused. On the other hand, Neville seemed distracted and Daphne hid behind her stoic mask. Harry thought Neville probably had to think about how to approach his Gran but He didn't know what was up with Daphne.

"Daphne, what did you think?"

She responded as if she were commenting on the weather just to have something to say. "It was educational."

He couldn't understand it. She was talking like they had never met and she was still the 'ice queen'. "What's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong." Her tone was flat and unemotional.

Harry was surprised to hear the bitter voice of Tracey Davis. "Just keep telling yourself that, Ice Queen. Come on, everyone. Maybe Harry can talk some sense into her."

Daphne gave Tracey a cold glare but Tracey just glared right back then turned away to get everyone else out. Ron looked reluctant while Neville looked baffled. After looking between Harry and Daphne, he saw that Hermione cooperated by urging everyone else out. Shortly, it was just Harry and Daphne and he turned back to see her turned away from him.

Harry really didn't know what to do. She didn't want to talk to him. He couldn't think of how he had done it but the only thing he could think of was that he had done something wrong. He had to figure out what it was and apologize for it.

"Did I do something wrong?

She gave no response.

"Whatever it was, I'm sorry."

He heard a sniff, was she crying? He started to approach her but he saw her shoulders stiffen so he stopped. He had no idea what was wrong and his stomach started to hurt as he contemplated the possibility that he was losing a friend.

When she responded, her voice was so quiet that he barely heard her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why are you upset? Did Tracey do something?"

Daphne just shook her head no and remained silent.

Harry couldn't think of anything else to say and sighed. A few moments of silence went by before he was relieved to hear her voice. It still wasn't strong but a little more audible than before.

"I never told you why I use the 'ice queen' mask."

She paused so he decided to answer. "No."

"I was taught how to do it by my father. It's not easy being the heiress of a Most Ancient and Noble House. It's not easy being a girl in Slytherin either. Older boys, opportunistic Lords of other houses, there can be a lot of dangers. I'm starting to realize now that it can be an addictive way to hide too. I realized that I'm not reacting very well to a situation that threatens that place to hide."

She paused again but Harry was still unsure what to say. He wanted to help so he decided to pursue that. "What is the threat? Can I help?"

Suddenly she started laughing, which relieved but puzzled Harry. What was so funny? She slowly turned to face him and the first thing he saw was tears running from her eyes. He felt bad until he saw that she was smiling at him. Was this one of those weird situations where girls cried because they were happy? What should he do?

"The threat is you, Harry. You're the one who can destroy my mask. I was embarrassed by my behaviour at the birthday party. I convinced myself that I needed to put the mask back on and use it as much as possible. I was only making myself miserable. It was a stupid idea."

He was the threat? He could think of only one way to protect her from himself but he didn't want to do that. Then he realized that she didn't want to hide anymore. Maybe everything was OK after all.

"So you're not angry at me?"

She chuckled and then the next thing he knew she was hugging him and burying her face on his shoulder. He hugged her back and smiled as he moved his face into her hair. She certainly did smell good. Her hugs weren't like any other he had experienced. As much as he liked Mrs. Weasley, her hugs were rather overwhelming. The hugs from Hermione were sudden, they didn't last long and they were more like a release of tension than anything else. Daphne's hugs were softer and it's as if she wanted to mould herself to him. He really liked her hugs.

* * *

It had become more and more difficult for Daphne to keep up her front. Tracey was very vexed with her and quickly losing patience. She had also deliberately separated herself from Harry. She didn't contact him and was brief the one time he contacted her. However, all the reasons she had wanted to learn how to fight still applied so she never considered skipping the instruction they were scheduled for with Flitwick.

It started out well except for how quickly and thoroughly she lost her very first bout. It stung slightly less because it was Harry and he had to be the most ready of all of them but it was still quite a blow to her pride. She tried hard for the rest of their time with Flitwick and thought she'd redeemed herself adequately. Then Harry started asking questions.

It started going badly and she was tempted to hex Tracey when she lashed out at her. As the last of them were leaving, she suddenly realized that Tracey fit well into the Slytherin ideals after all. Tracey had removed all distractions and excuses, she had to face Harry alone. When he started to feel guilty it all started to unravel. It was very hard for her when she realized what she was doing, not only to herself but to the boy she cared about. She was being an idiot and an awful friend so it was time to concede.

Hugging him and feeling him hugging her back was exactly what she needed. She felt herself relaxing and a smile grew on her face when she felt him relaxing into her. She hadn't ruined things and that was such a relief. She couldn't have lived with herself – or face her mother – if she had somehow driven Harry off. She'd been such a prat.

As nice as it was reconnecting with Harry, she also had to face her friend and apologize. She felt that her friend would forgive her but it might take a while. She had best start the process and pry herself away from her hopefully future boyfriend.

She sighed and released Harry and they stepped back to look at each other. Harry had an adorable smile that just made her want to hug him again – and maybe more - but she quashed that impulse quickly. She had no idea how he would react and the risk was just too great. She smiled at him and asked, "So we're still friends?"

"Of course we are."

Someday he was going to make a great boyfriend, she had no doubt about that. "I guess it's time for me to face the others. I owe Tracey a big apology."

"I think she'll forgive you right away. She was just frustrated."

"I hope you are right. Just give me a moment before we leave." She brought out her wand and cast a glamour at her face. "How do I look?"

Harry looked surprised. "Like you had never cried, you're so pretty."

Harry started blushing, which got her going too. She'd like to blame hormones but it was mostly how she felt about him and how she hoped he would feel about her. This was going to be awkward for a while but she'd get through this somehow.

She walked out of the room a step ahead of Harry and stopped in surprise when she saw the four others waiting across the hall. They were leaning against the wall and giving them apprehensive looks. She saw the piercing look from Tracey and did her best to smile back as she approached her friend. She was a little intimidated when Tracey remained silent and intense. She looked her in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, that big smile that was usually on her face was back and she brought Daphne into a hug as she said, "It's about time. I knew Harry could bring you back to us."

She did her best to huff at her friend while still engulfed in a hug. She whispered to her friend, "So Harry's your secret weapon to keep me in line?"

Tracey whispered back, "It worked, didn't it?"

Daphne admitted to herself that it was true. She wouldn't admit that aloud though.

* * *

Minerva had just finished setting the tea set where she wanted it when she heard a knock on her door. Based on who she was expecting, she didn't just say 'come in', she went to open the door to greet her guest. "It's good to see you Filius, come on in and help yourself to some tea."

"Thank you, Minerva. It's good to see you as well."

When they had both settled in their seats with their tea, she spoke again. "I was quite surprised to get your note asking for a meeting, Filius, as I was thinking of asking for meeting with you. You have me curious though, as you requested this meeting why you would allow me home pitch advantage."

Filius chuckled before responding. "Is everything about Quidditch with you, Minerva?"

"Not _everything_ , Filius."

After their exchanged smiles, Flitwick responded. "I wanted to talk to you about two of your Lions so I thought it would be appropriate to speak in your office."

"Two? I would guess Mr. Potter is one of them but the other one….. Oh, no. They aren't in trouble again? Potter and Weasley, I mean."

"No, not trouble and although you are correct on Mr. Potter, the other one is Mr. Longbottom."

"Ah! You've noticed Mr. Longbottom's greater focus on schoolwork too then?"

"Indeed I have. However, his practical work has not shown improvement and I found out that it is due to him trying to use his father's wand. Not only is it somewhat worn out, it doesn't suit him at all. I have encouraged him to get a new wand but he is expecting resistance from his grandmother. I wanted you to be aware of it in case he needs some help."

Minerva was disappointed with herself. Why hadn't she noticed this issue herself? However, this did raise an interesting possibility. "Did Mr. Potter have anything to do with raising that issue?"

"Only indirectly. I discovered the issue while I was giving them a private lesson on fighting arranged by Mr. Potter. Otherwise, he had nothing to do with it."

"Fighting?" Why would he... Oh, an encounter with Voldemort in each of his first two years would lead one to seek preparation. She was impressed that a boy of 12 would think that far ahead. "Exactly who is included in this private lesson?"

"Harry Potter and his friends: Granger, Weasley, Longbottom, Greengrass and Davis."

Now she was startled and put down her tea to focus entirely on the conversation. "Greengrass? Davis? Are you referring to the Slytherins in second year?"

"Exactly. You didn't know?"

"No. I can understand why they would be discrete with their classmates. I hope he didn't think he had to keep it from me."

"I doubt that is an issue. He readily identified them as friends to me, he only asked for some discretion."

She lost herself in memory for a moment. "Sometimes, he acts so much like his mother. You knew she had friends in Slytherin too, didn't you?"

"Yes. Roxanne Lannister and Severus Snape although the latter seemed to have a falling out eventually."

"Indeed. Severus made a grave error that even Lily Evans could not forgive. She and Roxanne remained close though and it's interesting that their children are now friends. Do you have any idea if Roxanne had anything to do with them becoming friends?"

"I have no idea, the subject didn't come up."

"That doesn't really matter, I was merely curious. So, what did you wish to bring up about Mr. Potter?"

"The matter there is similar but in Mr. Potter's case, he not only improved his theory work, his practical work borders on extraordinary. In just the first fighting lesson, I was impressed by his casting speed. The boy is a natural and could do well on the duelling circuit."

"Do you want to encourage him to do that?"

"Perhaps. I would want to sound him out on his interest first, however. His attention now is on defending himself and that will be my primary concern in his lessons. Also, doesn't he stay with Muggles? It might be difficult for him to participate without some magical assistance."

Minerva sighed, he was touching on what she wanted to discuss with him. However, first she wanted to make sure his concerns were covered. "Was there anything else you wanted to bring to my attention?"

"No, we've covered my concerns. What was it that you wanted to discuss with me?"

"Before we talk about my concerns, I want to tell you about a prior interaction I had with Mr. Potter. It involves Mr. Weasley and his broken wand."

"Ah, yes, he spellotaped the pieces together." Filius rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you got that taken care of."

Oh, this was becoming a very humbling experience. "I wish I could take credit for that but it was actually Mr. Potter who resolved that issue." She paused as Filius looked gobsmacked. "I had decided to allow the youngest Mr. Weasley to handle the issue with his parents. I didn't want to cause any financial issues by becoming involved and making it seem urgent. It never occurred to me that Mr. Weasley would be too timid to bring it up for fear of his mother's reaction. They were completely unaware."

"Not only did Mr. Potter force the issue, when the financial issue came up, he resolved it by making it his Christmas gift to Mr. Weasley. I have seldom been more proud of one of my Lions. I even skirted the rules a bit to allow them to get the wand with minimal fuss. I could do no less after the shining example that Mr. Potter was demonstrating."

"I'm impressed as well. He's taking after his father as well but skipping the years of pranking before getting there."

"Indeed, I am coming to think of him as being the best of both of his parents. I do try not to have favourites but Mr. Potter is making that difficult."

"I completely understand but it's a good problem to have."

Minerva chuckled but then became more serious as she knew it was time for her topic of conversation to come up. "I have been meaning to meet with you about a very serious matter. A matter that may find me in opposition to our esteemed headmaster. To be blunt, I may need an ally and I am wondering if you would be willing to join me."

She could see all signs of his normal joviality leave him. "Is this about Mr. Potter?"

"It is indeed. I have regretfully come to the conclusion that Albus does not have Mr. Potter's best interests at heart. I have allowed my deference to the man to cause me to fail in my duties as his head of house. I can no longer allow that to occur."

"You have my full attention. I know how long you have been friends with Albus and for you to oppose him, well, it is indeed very serious."

"This all begins the day that Harry Potter was placed with his relatives. Albus had made me aware of where he intended to place him and given what little I had heard about Lily's sister, I had some concern about the placement."

"I had no idea you had been involved in his placement nor did I know that He was placed with Lily's sister."

"To my embarrassment, I was not really involved. I just became a witness to what happened. I had observed the Dursleys most of that day and was appalled. The husband was arrogant, Petunia was a judgemental gossip and their child was a horror. He was spoiled and violent. I would be hard pressed to describe a house less likely to be a good place for another child. I tried to reason with Albus but to my continuing shame, I only put up a token resistance."

"I continued to question him over the years but over and over, he assured me that all was well and that Harry was well cared for. Given that he never talked to them, merely left him on their doorstep with a letter and a warming charm to keep him company, I feel like a fool for believing him."

She paused and then gave her companion a serious look. "Tell me Filius, did you notice Harry when he first arrived at Hogwarts?"

Flitwick looked uncomfortable but hesitantly offered his opinion. "He seemed small for his age, probably a bit too thin."

"I thought he looked malnourished. I allowed Albus to convince me all was well again. When I noticed his aversion to touch I didn't even bring it up. Not only did I know he wouldn't listen, I thought he'd just convince me it was my imagination. I saw him form two close friendships and thought all was well, it is what I wanted to believe."

"You believe he was abused?"

"I do. The problem is, he knows that I've let him down. I'm going to meet him with him, tell him stories and ask a few questions. I'm hoping that someday he'll trust me with the truth. I'm sure he's ashamed of any abuse he has suffered, it is typical for the child to think it is their own fault."

Her friend looked troubled so she waited for him to absorb what she had shared already. Eventually he looked up at her and asked, "Do you have more evidence, Minerva?"

"It is what happened this year that was the last straw for me. However, I want to share more from last year first. Did you know that he tried to warn me about someone going after the stone last year? He had the wrong suspect but he was absolutely correct. I brushed him off, I did what Albus told me to do and discouraged any student interest in that corridor. I'm sure I lost a lot of his trust that day."

She paused and then fixed him with a serious look. "Tell me, Filius, what you think of the headmaster hiding something valuable in a school full of children?"

It was obvious to her in that moment that she was not the only one who felt guilty about their inaction. "I am ashamed that I did not push back harder. I tried to convince him to use some other location yet I ended up doing his bidding and setting up one of the rooms. If Mr. Potter had died, I would have never forgiven myself. As it was, it took me weeks to convince myself to let it go."

"Exactly. I have wracked my brain trying to come up with his motivation. Did you know he left part of his protection where the children could find it? Did you know that Harry found it? It may have led Harry to be able to get the stone at the end. He never gave me details but he did tell me about the Mirror of Erised. Filius, I believe it was a test. A convoluted, dangerous test for a first year student that came much too close to dying."

Flitwick's look was stony and he remained silent so she continued.

"I do not believe that Albus set up the events involving the chamber. However, did you know that it was not he who realized what the monster was? He told me it was a student but he refused to say who it was. I would not be surprised if Harry was involved in that discovery somehow. Do you know about the diary?"

"I thought it was Albus who realized what the monster was. I don't know anything about a diary."

"I'm sure he will not willingly give up any information on that diary. He was not very subtle about avoiding questions about it. He also wasted no time in getting rid of me so he could speak to Harry privately. He is keeping too many secrets and they all seem to involve Harry somehow. I just hope I can convince Harry that I want to help him, that he can trust me."

Filius seemed deep in thought so she waited. "There is not enough evidence yet to do anything, in my opinion. There is enough to have me concerned, like you. Do you want me to see if I can get Mr. Potter to open up to me?"

"If you see an opportunity, I would appreciate it. As I said, I am going to try to set up regular meetings with him so I hope to succeed on my own. Given my poor track record with him though, he might trust you sooner than he would trust me."

"I think you are being too hard on yourself, Minerva. However, I want to help so I will look for an opportunity to bring it up with him. If you come up with something more, I will be very anxious to hear about it. If we have enough to act on, you can count on me. I will fight to protect Lily's son, even against Albus himself."

"Thank you, FIlius, for both your time and your trust. I will keep you informed."

"It's my pleasure, Minerva."

She was surprised when he bowed to her and she just barely got in a curtsy before he turned to leave. He wasn't much for the old ways and she wondered what brought that on. Perhaps it was just a show of respect, she wasn't sure and in the long run it didn't matter.

She settled back in her chair and considered the new information that she had learned from Filius. She might now be aware of what changed in November to make three of her Lions suddenly show more interest in their educations. A delayed reaction to Miss Granger never seemed a satisfactory answer and an underachiever joining the group wasn't an answer either. However, Daphne Greengrass was one of the best students not only in her year but in all years. She would not be surprised to see her as Head Girl one day, academically. What would make her unlikely is how sheltered she was socially. Without some evidence of leadership, she wouldn't be considered.

Who her mother is was also an interesting factor. Roxanne Lannister/Greengrass had been very close to Lily Evans/Potter. Roxanne had been nobody's fool and Lily's academic equal. It was Lily's broader influence that had garnered her the headship over her friend. It wouldn't have surprised her if Lily had made Roxanne Harry's Godmother. Could Roxanne have arranged for her daughter to seek out Harry this year? Could she be helping Harry through her daughter to cope with what he was being put through?

If so, it would be a relief. She considered contacting Roxanne but ultimately decided to defer any action. She felt it was more practical for her to deal with Harry directly, at least for now. If contacting her later seemed conducive to resolving her suspicions, she could do it then. She now had a plan and an ally so it was time to start mending her relationship with Harry Potter.


	13. Problems, Big and Small

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks to all of you reading and special thanks to Shygui for helping to make this story worth reading.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. - Albert Einstein

Daphne was whispering his name but he couldn't find her. Where was she? Why was she hiding? Next Harry felt someone jostling his shoulder and then he realized he was in bed and that he had been dreaming. That left one question: who was waking him up?

"Harry?"

That wasn't Daphne but it was a girl and she sounded familiar. Suddenly it all became clear to him as he saw an outline of a girl near his bed. "Hey, Ginny. Just give me a moment, I'll be right down."

She continued to whisper, "You don't have to hurry."

He sat up but decided to not argue with her, he didn't want to wake one of his dorm mates. He moved to the side of his bed and rubbed his eyes as he heard the door close. He slipped off the bed and immediately regretted it as he hissed in reaction. He hated being in a draughty old stone castle in Scotland in winter. Whose bright idea was this location anyway? He quickly put on his new slippers and regretted ever touching that frigid floor with his bare feet. What a way to wake up!

He grabbed his new robe and wrapped it around himself. It was a bit chilly in the room and he needed the extra insulation. Then he recalled what Hermione had told him and got a spare blanket. He paused as a huge yawn overcame him just before he got to the door. He then quietly and slowly went down the steps. He didn't want to stumble in his newly-awakened state.

He got to the common room and spotted some red hair barely sticking up over the top of the couch closest to the fortunately still active fireplace. He felt the increased warmth as he came around the couch to sit near her. He placed the blanket on his other side and settled in. He looked at her but she was staring down into her lap. She naturally looked tired but he also saw a haunted look in her eyes.

Nothing came to mind that he could do to make it better for her. He'd been touched by Voldemort's evil too but never for as long as she had been. Despite his bluster with Percy, he only had a vague idea of what she must have gone through. Well, he had to say something so he'd best get to it.

"Voldemort has been putting up a front most of his life. He certainly isn't the social type. You and I may know him the best or at least know him as he has become."

She didn't move much but her head had cocked towards him so she was listening. That's all the encouragement he needed.

"I can't take credit for the first time he was defeated. It was my Mum's sacrifice that beat him. I was only 15 months old so I don't know for sure but I think she must have done it on purpose. She outthought him even though the cost was her life."

"The second time was last year. I really blundered into it, I thought it was Snape, not Quirrell and in the end it was only me between him and what he wanted. It was luck and my friends that got me that far but what beat him was determination. I was willing to do anything to keep him from coming back. I fought with all I had for myself and for my friends, for the world we wanted to live in. I guess I was like my Mum in that, being willing to give everything I mean."

She had turned more towards him now and he had her full attention. "In the chamber, I outthought him, just like my Mum must have done. He tried to distract me, he stalled for time to become stronger but I was on to him. I figured out his weakness and struck at it before he could realize what I was doing. He was arrogant, he thought I had no chance but he was wrong."

He was starting to see awe in her face and he realized it was time to shift the attention to her. "You beat him too and I have no idea how many times that must have happened. Every time he brought out the basilisk he did it to kill but you stopped him, every single time. He was really angry about that. He said you were stronger than he had expected."

He had been watching her in his peripheral vision but his face had been towards the fireplace. She was staring at him as if gobsmacked so he turned to look at her directly. "You and I know that he is sick, twisted and scarily powerful but we also know something more important. He's just a person like us despite what he's done to himself. He has flaws, he is not all-powerful and he can be beaten. We both know that because we have both done that."

He continued, "Don't be like the others who are afraid of his made-up name. He's just a bully and we can stop him if we try, we've both proven that. Don't give him more power than he really has. The next time he shows up in your dreams, spit in his face. Show him that you know what he is. Show him who is really stronger. I'm talking about you, Ginny. You beat him. You are still here and he isn't."

He saw tears forming in her eyes but she didn't back down, she was still looking at him. "But it was you that beat him, Harry. He's not here because of you."

"I was in the position to beat him. I know you could have done it if you had a chance because you stopped him from killing. You, Ginny, not me, not Dumbledore and not anyone else. You and you alone stopped him from killing the Muggleborns. They are still alive because of you. You are a hero, Ginny. You faced him and beat him. I'm impressed with what you have done and you should be proud."

Something flickered across her face but it was too fast for him to read what it was. She turned her head down and was staring at the space between them on the couch. She made an odd sound that sort of reminded him of a suppressed laugh.

"Spit in his face?"

Ah, that is what she'd been thinking about. "Yeah. Spit right in his face."

She nodded but still kept her face down. Her voice was soft when she said, "I guess I'll try that."

He suppressed a sigh of relief. He hadn't really planned that out much and he had rambled a bit but it looked like it had worked anyways. He'd been passionate about what he was saying, that must have come through. The rest of what they said that night wasn't really notable. Most of their time together was just companionable silence.

In due course, as Hermione had said, Ginny began to droop and eventually laid down and fell asleep. Hermione had saved him a trip so he carefully laid the blanket over Ginny and stayed long enough to be certain she had remained asleep. He then yawned and quietly went back up to his bed.

* * *

Harry made his way towards McGonagall's office. He had high hopes for this meeting as despite the fact that their first meeting had started out a little awkwardly, it had continued on a high note with many stories from her. Many of them were funny, especially about his father. Some of the stories about his mother made him glad that he had taken a more serious approach to his education as he didn't want her to be disappointed in him. She had been a remarkable witch and he just wished that he could remember her.

Abruptly, he realized he was at his destination and that staring at her door was very boring. He took a fortifying breath and knocked on her door and heard a prompt 'come in' in response. He closed the door behind him and looked over to see a small smile from her and tea and biscuits waiting for him. He felt a smile forming on his face, he just knew this would be a good meeting.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Professor, and you?"

"I'm well, thanks for asking. Please sit and help yourself."

Harry did just that and felt his face begin to heat when he heard what she had to say next.

"Miss Weasley tells me that you and she had a very interesting late night conversation."

At least 'interesting' was better than 'odd' or 'ridiculous'. "Erm, I just wanted to emphasize the positive things. I knew she was ashamed of being naïve enough to get involved with the diary in the first place. She needed something positive to hang on to. I meant every word I said."

"I know that, Mr. Potter. It was what she needed to hear and she has been more positive since then."

That was a relief, he'd been afraid that she wouldn't approve. "That's good to hear."

"On that general subject, I was wondering about the diary, what do you know about it?"

It appeared that Dumbledore was not sharing with his deputy, which wasn't a shock. The more people thinking about what it might be, the better was his opinion so he had no reason to hold back. "I wish I knew. Voldemort said it was a memory of his 16-year-old self but he also talked about rising again by using Ginny's life. A memory couldn't do that, it had to be something else, something more. I asked Dumbledore about soul magic and he avoided the question."

That certainly provoked a reaction, McGonagall looked gobsmacked. "Soul magic? Mr. Potter, that is a very dangerous area of magic."

"So I've heard. But it would explain it better, don't you think?"

He began to worry about her a little, she was very pale.

"That is true but very, very worrisome." She proceeded to mutter, "What has that maniac done?"

Harry wasn't sure he was supposed to hear that last part but waited patiently for more of her reaction, which she eventually did.

"So the headmaster did not share any theories?"

Harry just suppressed a scoff, there was no reason to do anything provocative. "No, he didn't."

"I see." She looked deeply disturbed, which made him feel uneasy as well. She straightened up and looked at him again. "Are there any other incidences of the headmaster keeping things from you or where he forced you to do things?"

He wondered what to tell her but then decided that anything the headmaster already knew would be harmless to divulge. "In my first year, Voldemort told me that he was coming for me that night, not my parents. I'm sure that he knows why but he refused to tell me."

Now she looked gobsmacked again. "What? I'd always thought he came for your parents as members of the Order. Why would he come after a child?"

"I'd like to know that too. Perhaps a prophecy? By the way, what Order are you talking about?"

He had never imagined he would see a chagrined McGonagall but that is exactly what he saw now. "I'm not aware of any prophecy."

"And the Order?"

She gave him a speculative look then sighed. "I will tell you if you agree to keep this confidential."

"What about my friends?"

That made McGonagall sigh again. "It cannot go beyond them. This is a confidential matter."

"They will keep their mouths shut. I know I can depend on them."

That earned him a penetrating gaze that baffled him at first. Then he realized that he had implied that they were already keeping secrets. Oops. He relaxed when her gaze softened and she began to speak.

"During the war with Voldemort, the headmaster formed a group to oppose him outside the restrictions and bureaucracy of the Ministry. The Ministry was desperate enough to look the other way but technically, it was a vigilante group. Thus, discretion is in order."

"My parents were members?"

"Indeed they were and they joined right out of school. Once your mother was pregnant though, she had to take a background role. She wasn't allowed to do any more fighting."

That was interesting and obviously, his parents had trusted Dumbledore. Either Dumbledore was not so manipulative back then or his parents chose to look the other way. If the choice was Voldemort or Dumbledore, he'd pick Dumbledore too. He saw that McGonagall appeared to be waiting for a reaction so he said, "I see."

"Are there any other issues with the headmaster?"

The biggest one was obviously the Dursleys but he wasn't inclined to bring that up. Then he remembered another issue. "I have wondered why Sirius Black never got a trial." Now he did it, she looked like she'd nearly fallen out of her chair.

"How did you…." She seemed to shake herself out of her shock and continued in a calmer voice. "Are you certain he never got a trial?"

"Absolutely. The Wizengamot has no record of it."

There was a flicker of something in her eyes but it was gone so quickly that he had no idea what it was. He was distracted from pondering that by her next question.

"How does this relate to Albus?"

"He's the Chief Warlock and never saw to it that Sirius got a chance to defend himself."

"I had no idea there was no trial so I have no idea why none occurred. Did you ask him about it?"

"No, I haven't had a chance."

"Anything else?"

"Not at this time." She looked disappointed. What had she expected him to bring up?

"How are the Dursleys treating you?"

Not again. His least favourite subject just keeps coming up! On the other hand, it is his biggest grievance and she is obviously already aware of an issue or at the very least suspected one. He'd go with minimal disclosure. "Not well."

"Have you ever felt in danger there?"

All the time but what should he really say? He sighed and then said, "Sometimes." She closed her eyes and looked pale again. Was she OK? When her eyes reopened, she practically pinned him to his chair with a serious stare.

"Professor Flitwick and I have become concerned about how the headmaster has been treating you. In particular, we are troubled by how you may be treated by the Dursleys. If you can give either or both of us details, we will see to it that you never return there."

Now Harry felt gobsmacked. This was the second time in a month that someone has offered to keep him from the Dursleys. Where were they last year? If Lord Greengrass couldn't see a legal way to keep him away what could two professors do? On the other hand, what if Lord Greengrass changed his mind? Having a plan B would be a good thing.

"I appreciate the offer but I was wondering how you would do that."

She opened her mouth but then closed it with a frown. She sighed and then said in a disappointed voice. "I will have to confer with Professor Flitwick and perhaps some others about that. I will have to get back to you on that."

"I appreciate that, Professor."

"I am curious about one more thing. You don't have to tell me if you don't wish to but I was wondering why you, Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Weasley have suddenly improved in your schoolwork."

He had to fight a blush. Why hadn't he expected teachers to notice their new diligence? He looked at her curious face and then decided that she'd shown him some genuine concern, he should show a little trust.

"To answer that, I would need to request confidentiality on what I am about to share."

"Of course. Is this something that has to be kept from the headmaster?"

"No, he probably already knows. You see, I made a new friend this year, a Slytherin – well, actually two of them now. Anyway, she could have some trouble about being friends with a Gryffindor. They are Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. Daphne has pushed me to try harder and I guess that has trickled down to Neville and Ron too."

She smiled before replying, "I'm sure Miss Granger is pleased as well."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, she's very pleased." Their discussion drifted into the electives he would have to select from later in the year and possible careers. He enjoyed it a lot.

* * *

Once Harry left, Minerva tiredly rubbed her face and wondered how she had allowed things to slide so badly. It was bad enough that she'd missed out on helping two of her Lions to get proper wands. Now she was making bold promises that she had not properly researched. How could they keep Albus from sending Harry back to the Dursleys? She couldn't depend on convincing that stubborn old man to change his mind. She should have planned ahead better than that. She huffed to herself as she realized she was being the stereotypical Gryffindor, promise first and figure out what to do later.

However, she had learned some more interesting things. What was that damned diary? Was there some prophecy about Harry? What secrets were Harry and his friends keeping? She also had some evidence of help from Roxanne Greengrass.

First, he'd been too certain about there being no records of a trial in the Wizengamot. How would a twelve year old student know that? However, Roxanne, the wife of Wizengamot member would be able to find out easily. Secondly, he had not embraced an offer to help him avoid the Dursleys like she expected. He had hesitated as if considering something. He probably already had one from Roxanne Greengrass. On the other hand, he seemed to keep the option of accepting help from her open. She had opened her big mouth, now she had to back it up with a plan. Now, other than Filius, who did she need to consult with?

* * *

Harry finished his homework and was still so intrigued by the charms they were learning that he was reading ahead. He heard someone packing up and saw that it was Ron, while Neville looked like he was considering doing the same. Hermione was buried in a book and seemed unaware of the activity around her.

Harry wanted to contact Daphne about his meeting with McGonagall earlier that day so he decided to pack up as well. The boys were quiet as they went up to their dorm and he noticed Dean already there, apparently drawing again. He got ready for bed, pulled the curtains and got out a book, the parchment and a quill. It was still fairly early so he hoped he would get a response.

 **Daphne, are you still up?**

He had to wait a little while but she eventually responded.

 **I was starting to think about going to bed. Now is a good time for us to 'talk'. How did it go with McGonagall?**

 **That's what I wanted to write about. It was interesting. She asked about the Dursleys and said if I gave them information about it being unsafe for me there, she said they would try to see to it that I didn't have to go.**

 **What did you say?**

 **I asked what her plan was but she didn't have one. She said she'd get back to me. I thought I might need a plan B, just in case.**

 **You won't need one. My mother is determined and father has agreed to it. You are absolutely welcome at Greengrass Manor.**

Harry blushed and didn't know what to write so he drew a smiley face instead. He smiled as she asked a question.

 **Was there anything else?**

 **She asked why Neville, Ron and I are doing better. I asked for confidentiality and she agreed so I told her about you and Tracey. However, it was pretty obvious that she already knew. Since she mentioned Professor Flitwick that may be how she knew.**

 **I'm not worried about professors, it's students in Slytherin that I'm worried about.**

 **Me too. I wasn't worried but I thought you ought to know. Also, I may have given away the fact that we are keeping secrets. She kind of freaked out about the soul magic.**

 **I don't blame her, it's very dangerous. Anything else?**

 **Not really. We talked about electives and career choices.**

 **Good. We ought to coordinate on our electives when the time comes. I think we could end up in some of the same ones.**

 **That would be cool. We can't really talk much or anything in class but at least we'll see each other.**

 **I received some interesting news from father. He noticed an anomaly with the Malfoy finances. They had to sell some things to pay the fines and such but he seems as rich as ever. Father is pretty sure that Malfoy is involved with illegal potions but doesn't have proof. Malfoy covers his tracks well. He even requires wizard oaths of silence about him from those who work for him.**

 **It figures that he'd be into stuff like that. He got off on supporting Voldemort though, he'll be tough to convict.**

 **Agreed but father is trying.**

 **Good. I wish him 'good hunting'.**

Her reply was a smiley face.

 **One last thing. Father is working to have Malfoy removed from the board of governors and he thinks he'll succeed. He also hopes to become a member himself.**

 **That would be great!**

* * *

Harry thought back on the last few weeks. At first it had seemed overwhelming that they had magical practice, fighting class and physical conditioning in addition to regular classes, homework and spending time with friends. However, they had finally settled into a routine and the positive results were showing up not only in their fighting classes but even in their schoolwork.

The breakthrough that had made it possible was Harry asking Dobby where they could run in the castle since running outdoors in Scotland in winter was something none of them considered plausible. That 'come and go' room was incredible. Showing it to Daphne the first time, Harry would never forget her face. As enthralled as Hermione was, it was even more so for Daphne. He'd also never forget that hug Daphne gave him, it had reminded him a little of Mrs. Weasley's hugs with how strong it was. Now that he thought about it, she was hugging him more often, not that he was complaining. He quite enjoyed hugs now, especially Daphne's.

Those thoughts were pleasant. What was not so pleasant was the holiday fast approaching: Valentine's Day. The minor issue was that Professor 'Ponce' Lockhart was hinting at big plans for the day. However, that irritation was very minor, since his head of house had spoken to the DADA professor, Lockhart had been avoiding Harry. No more roles in his plays and he was never called upon either. So whatever that ponce was planning didn't really bother Harry much.

His problem was what he was supposed to do. He'd ignored his first Valentine's Day at Hogwarts as nothing had been organized for it like at his Muggle elementary school. Now, however, he was friends with three girls and sort-of-maybe friends with Ginny as well. She'd never come to him at night again and he'd heard she was doing much better so their interactions were merely occasional exchanged greetings. Did they all expect cards? What should he do?

His first instinct had been to ask Daphne but he quickly discarded that idea. His biggest problem was what to do about Daphne so asking her seemed like a foolish thing to do. His only other idea was to ask his first female friend. He knew she'd give him good counsel and she was pretty much always at hand. However, asking her with Ron or Neville around didn't appeal to him so he'd allowed a day and a half to pass with his question unasked. It was time to stop dithering.

He had come down to the common room early hoping that Hermione would join him before either of the other boys appeared. For once, his luck was good but now he had to figure out how ask his question without sounding like a clueless git. Even though he felt like he was one, he didn't want to point it out.

"So, erm, about Valentine's Day…" He drifted to a stop as Hermione smirked at him. Smirked! Was she a mind reader now?

"You want to know what to do for Daphne, don't you?"

If it wasn't for the fact that Daphne had taught him how to recognize Legilimency attacks, he would have thought she'd taken it right out of his head. It was sort of nice to have such a smart friend but this was starting to get embarrassing! He had to refocus when she spoke again.

"Get her a special card, one for a special friend or someone important to you, not just some generic card."

Harry nodded, he'd been thinking along those lines and it was heartening that he wasn't a complete idiot in these matters.

"So for other girls, I could use generic cards?" Oops. That was apparently the wrong thing to say. She was giving him the stink eye and he got very nervous.

"Were you going to get me a _generic_ card?"

Bloody hell, he'd stepped in it this time! However, it was more a case of saying it incorrectly rather than not planning to get her a nice card. "I didn't mean it like that! I'll get a nice card for every girl I know! I just meant it didn't have to be special is all."

Now she was giggling, which surprised and confused him. First of all, she generally wasn't a giggler but he was finally realizing that she'd been taking the mickey and he hadn't noticed. Score another one for Hermione then. He sighed in resignation and gave her a long suffering look, which made her snicker after having finished her giggling.

Hermione finally sobered up and asked, "So what are you thinking for Daphne's gift?"

Gift? He had to get a gift too? His look must have tipped her off as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"If she's special in your life, you need to get her a gift. Anonymously, of course."

Well, apparently he was an idiot after all. He'd thought of and discarded the idea of getting her a present. Maybe someday in the distant future he'd know how to handle situations like this. "Ummm, she likes chocolate…." She was shaking her head so he drifted to a dejected stop. He was still an idiot then.

"You got that for her birthday recently. Try again."

He only had one other guess so he went with it. "Flowers?"

She smiled and he suppressed a sigh of relief. He was back to being not a _complete_ idiot. At least he hoped so. Ron and Neville approached while in a somewhat boisterous conversation so he had no more opportunity to embarrass himself. For now.

* * *

It was the night before Valentine's Day. He preferred to give out his cards in person but he knew that there were two he didn't dare do that way. However, using Hedwig would be no better. He was about to call for Dobby when he realized that he was with two other boys who might have something to send to the Slytherins as well. Neither Dean nor Seamus were there so he could ask them straight out.

"Hey Ron and Neville. I was thinking of sending Dobby with my cards for Daphne and Tracey. Did either of you have something you wanted to send too?" The initial look from Neville was intrigued while the one from Ron looked gobsmacked. Only Neville answered.

"Are you sending them now?"

"I'm going to give them to Dobby now but ask him to deliver for early morning, they can find them when they wake up."

"I was thinking of sending them with a school owl in the morning but your idea is better. Hang on a second, I'll give them to you."

While Neville was going for one of his drawers, Harry looked at Ron. He was startled to see Ron looking pale and defeated. "Ron, what's wrong?"

Ron shook his head and just muttered, "Nothing."

That was when Harry realized that Ron had forgotten. He wasn't being biased this time, he probably had nothing for Hermione either. He felt bad and was a little surprised that Hermione hadn't reminded him. Then again, she might have and he ignored her. Either way, there was nothing that he could think of do at this point.

He refocussed on Neville when he handed him two envelopes. Harry called Dobby and he eagerly accepted his new chore and assured Harry and Neville that their cards would be delivered before the girls woke the next day.

* * *

Daphne wasn't surprised to see cards waiting for her when she woke on Valentine's Day. Her parents and sister typically had cards for her. The fact that there were obviously more than two cards is what had her smiling in anticipation. She had just grabbed the top card when she saw Tracey open her curtains and look for her cards as well. The top card was from her parents and it gave her a warm feeling. The next one was from her sister but she'd noticed that there were still two more. Her anticipation ratcheted up another notch.

She felt a little ashamed of herself but she couldn't concentrate on her sister's card and put it aside without reading the whole thing. She was slightly disappointed that the next one was from Neville but she still had one to go. Last but not least she found Harry's card. It was a lovely card that spoke of a special person in his life: her! She barely suppressed a squeal of delight. Heiresses of Most Ancient and Noble Houses do not squeal. At least, that was what she kept telling herself. She felt slight disappointment at the lack of a gift but the card was wonderful and she hoped he liked hers.

She looked up to see Tracey staring at a card with a big, silly grin. She cast a privacy charm quietly around them and perched herself on Tracey's bed. "Did you get a sweet card from Neville, Tracey?"

She was met with a look of horror and then Tracey looked towards the other two beds and only one showed signs of life as Millicent struggled into her robe. Tracey turned back and hissed out a whisper to Daphne. "Careful, they can't know about him."

Daphne rolled her eyes and replied in a normal voice. "I cast a privacy charm, they didn't hear what I said."

Tracey let out a sigh of relief but still was blushing. She narrowed her eyes at Daphne and poked back at her. "And how was Harry's card? Sweet?"

Daphne wasn't bothered at all. "Very sweet."

Then a genuine smile appeared on Tracey's face. "I told you, the boy isn't completely clueless. He sent me a card too." Tracey passed her card from Harry over and her eyebrows rose when she looked at the nice card that Daphne had received. Tracey then added, "Wow, you weren't kidding. That is a sweet card."

That made Daphne blush but she still didn't mind, it was already a good day. Her outlook changed when they entered the great hall. She'd been looking forward to seeing Harry even if it was from afar but she walked into a pink disaster. She probably owed Dobby an apology, his over-the-top decorations for her birthday had nothing on this – whatever it was. When she saw Lockhart swoop in and begin his speech, she knew who to blame for this. However, she would not let the bloody ponce destroy her day.

She watched for Harry and saw him with his three friends as they entered. He didn't seem to let the pink misadventure ruin his day either. However, she was surprised to see him split with his friends and then she saw him deliver an envelope to the little Weasley. She clenched her teeth when she saw her react with embarrassment while handing him an envelope back as her little friends tittered away. She felt herself frowning at the girl even after Harry left to re-join his friends.

She wasn't too bothered to see him exchanging cards with Hermione but her heart fell when he also presented her with a flower. Her stomach squirmed and her morning porridge suddenly looked like an inedible gelatinous mass. She stared down at the bowl and poked at it as she focussed on her Occlumency to prevent any reaction from showing.

She heard muttering from Tracey and when she looked at her she was glaring towards the Gryffindors. She then met Daphne's gaze and started muttering about it being alright and he didn't deserve her, none of which made her feel any better. She turned her face down at the bowl again and felt Tracey squeeze her leg as if to reassure her.

She was beginning to feel nauseous when she heard Tracey gasp and had just started to look towards her when a strange owl landed in front of her with an imperious gaze. She blinked at it in confusion until it hooted at her and offered its leg. That was when she saw – a miniature bouquet? She tentatively reached out for it and when she touched it came off and the owl immediately launched itself back into the air. Daphne had to bring her other hand out to properly hold what was now a beautiful full-sized bouquet of mixed flowers already in a vase with water. Fortunately, it was charmed to not spill, otherwise she would probably have drenched her breakfast and spilled out the flowers.

She carefully put it down in front of her and couldn't stop staring. It was an impressive collection of flowers and wonderfully arranged. This was not some spur of the moment gift, someone had planned for it in advance. She quickly looked at the card and saw it just said it was from a 'secret admirer'. Her eyes sought Harry and he quickly looked down when she caught him looking. The big smile on his face confirmed it for her, Harry was her secret admirer.

She sighed in relief and delight and she smiled back at Tracey as Tracey whispered, "You should keep him after all." It was all Daphne could do to stop herself from giggling. She was so relieved that she felt euphoric. She quickly put her 'ice queen' mask back into place when she heard the annoying voice of Pansy Parkinson.

"Did you send that to yourself to make yourself look special, Greengrass?"

"No but you obviously have considered doing that. What's wrong, you couldn't afford to do it?"

She saw a few of her fellow Slytherins smile at her riposte as Parkinson muttered something indistinct. She gave Pansy the attention that she deserved, which is to say none at all. She was having a good day and nobody was going to spoil it.

* * *

Hermione heard the boys coming down and got up to greet them and exchange cards. Although Harry and Neville looked to be in good moods, the contrast to Ron was rather stunning. He looked ill and although he had seen her, he was studiously looking away from her. She was so distracted by it that she forgot her cards and tried to approach Ron but he evaded her and kept the other two boys between them. She couldn't imagine what that was about.

If he'd looked angry, it wouldn't have bothered her much as he had obvious anger issues but this appeared to be shame. She was just starting to wonder what he had to feel ashamed about with her since he wasn't avoiding the boys, only her. Then the obvious answer hit her, he had forgotten the holiday and had no card for her.

She suppressed a sigh. She wasn't sure why she felt these feelings about Ron instead of someone like Harry, he was the brother she'd never had. Instead, she found herself sometimes thinking about the unmotivated, often thoughtless Ronald Bloody Weasley. She certainly hoped it wasn't because she saw him as a challenge, a boyfriend shouldn't be a challenge. She'd just have to keep hoping the boy would someday grow up and make something of himself.

She was surprised when Harry excused himself and headed to the other side of the table than the other boys. She decided to stick with Ron and Neville, thinking that she might be able to make peace with Ron and that Harry would probably be back with them. She was thwarted in her former objective as Ron was determined to avoid her. She gave up and exchanged cards with Neville and gave her card to Ron who just stared at the envelope like it might bite him.

She gave up and sat next to Neville while Ron was on his other side. Soon, Harry sat next to her and she offered her card to him. He gave her a smile and a card in return then she saw him carefully retrieve something small and after tapping it with his wand while saying 'Finite', she realised that he was giving her a pretty single rose. She stared at it in momentary wonder and refocussed on him when he said, "See, I'm not just giving you a generic card. Thanks for the advice, too."

"That's really sweet, Harry. Someday you'll make some lucky girl a great boyfriend."

Harry began to look nervous so she leaned towards him and softly said, "You won't have to look too far for one either. There's a good candidate at the Slytherin table." Harry began a spectacular blush so she shifted her attention to starting her breakfast to give him time to recover. There was a brief interruption as a strange owl arrived with four cards, two each for Harry and Neville. She could tell from Harry's reaction that Daphne was one of the senders.

A little later she heard a slight disturbance across the room and looked up to see Daphne staring in wonder at a beautiful flower arrangement. Wow, Harry didn't do things by half. She cut her eyes toward the boy in question and saw a brilliant smile on his face. She turned back to her meal with a grin, they were going to make a cute couple someday.

* * *

Harry went to the room early so he could think undisturbed. When he'd agreed to meet Daphne the evening of Valentine's Day, he had not thought of all of the possible connotations. She was a good friend and you gave cards to friends on that holiday. However, he'd also sent a rather extravagant gift and although he'd enjoyed Daphne's reaction, he wondered what she was thinking.

It had been Hermione's idea for the gift although he'd selected it himself. She was evidently trying to encourage a closer relationship than just friendship. Did the gift send the wrong message? Was his selection for the gift sending the wrong message? Had he just messed up a perfectly good friendship? Although the idea of having a girlfriend still made him very uneasy, could she be ready? Would making her wait cause him to lose any chance with her for more than friendship? Why did this have to be so bloody complicated?

His dinner was sitting heavily in his stomach and he had to resort to Occlumency to calm himself. He couldn't be a jittery mess when she got there, there was no way that would be a good thing. How should he greet her? What would she expect now? He stopped that train of thought. The answer was obvious, try to act normal. Could he do that though while he was obsessing about what he should do? He heard the door start to open so it was too late now, he'd have to wing it.

* * *

The instant that she saw him Daphne knew something was wrong. She could tell he was using Occlumency to remain calm and she decided to act normal. Since hugs were their normal greetings these days, she gave him a hug before spelling the door.

"Thank you for the flowers, they are lovely. Parkinson was jealous."

His early reaction indicated she was on to the source of his issue but he was amused by the last part. So, he was either nervous about her liking the gift, which given their exchanged smiles when she got them was unlikely, or he was nervous about their relationship. He still wasn't ready and the last thing she wanted to be was a source of stress for him, he had that aplenty already.

"I'm glad you liked them. What did Parkinson do?"

"She got snarky with me so I put her down. Unlike Malfoy, she was smart enough to quit while she was behind."

"Ha! I wish I could have heard that."

"So, what was up with Weasley? He looked like he lost his best friend or something."

Harry grimaced. "Somehow, he managed to forget Valentine's Day. He didn't have a card for Hermione and has been moping all day."

"It's not like the date changes every year or something. Plus it was hard to miss all the hints Professor Ponce was dropping about big plans. I didn't expect the disaster I saw in the great hall though. I don't know why Dumbledore let him get away with it."

"He probably thought it was funny."

Harry was relaxed and grinning so her plan was working. "I received a message from my father earlier today. He showed your memory at the board of governors meeting and Malfoy was voted out. Some old guy retired too so there were two vacancies. My father got one and Neville's Gran got the other."

He looked pleased until the end when his eyes got bigger. "Neville's Gran? Erm, she's sort of …."

"Intimidating? Yeah, I know. However father says she was very concerned about student safety and said something snide about not being intimidated, a clear shot at Lord Malfoy who was still sitting right there. Father said that he didn't look pleased but he kept his mouth shut. I'm hoping that with both of them on the board she might not be so against my family after getting to know my father."

"If she can run off Malfoy then she's alright in my book. I hope things get better between your families too. Did you know she took Neville to buy a new wand yesterday? He was so excited that we did a little magical practice. You'll be able to see in our next fighting lesson, his spells are a lot more consistent now."

"That's great! I thought it was mostly confidence with him but now that he has a proper wand too, he should do much better in class."

"Did you hear about the singing Valentine that I got?"

She had to stifle her reaction, was someone after her Harry? "No, who sent it?"

"The twins, it was a prank. I was in the hallway and suddenly one of those dwarves dressed like a cupid grabbed my pants and started singing awful poetry. I'd have run off but he had too good of a grip on my pants. He must have had others run away from him so he made sure if I left, it'd be without my pants."

She tried not to laugh, she really did but it was just too funny. Harry still looked mostly amused, albeit a little chagrined so it was all good. They went on to talk about classes and classmates. She had him laughing with a story about Millicent Bulstrode so she was relaxed as well. She just wished he was ready for dating.

* * *

Harry was relieved as he headed back to Gryffindor tower. He'd been worried about nothing and felt silly for letting Hermione put ideas in his head. He and Daphne were just friends and Daphne wasn't expecting anything more than that. Everything was just fine the way it was.


	14. Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks for reading and special thanks to Shygui for his beta skills. Someone is about to find out that you don't mess with the Greengrass family, even indirectly, and get away with it.

And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? - William Shakespeare

Over a month went by and winter was starting to give way to spring. The castle was still cold but there were occasional nice days that had the students outside enjoying the weather. Easter break was a short break so most students remained in school but it was also time for the second years to choose two or three electives to add to their course load for next year. After talking with Daphne, Harry was set on taking Runes and Arithmancy. Although they had talked about Care of Magical Creatures, they had ultimately decided that it didn't serve a purpose for either of them.

So it was that Harry found himself outside talking about courses with his Gryffindor friends. Neville was content with Runes and Magical Creatures while Ron kept trying to convince the other two boys to take his choices, Divination and Magical Creatures. Harry was convinced that taking a class he had no talent for was a waste of time so he refused to take Divination, much to Ron's chagrin.

What none of the others could understand was Hermione's determination to take all of them when she was only allowed three. Harry tried yet again, "But Hermione, it clearly says you can only take a maximum of three."

"I can handle the course load."

"But why? Do you seriously think you need Muggle Studies? You could teach that class!"

"So could you, Harry."

Harry snorted. "Which is why I'd never consider wasting my time in that class. Remember, Flitwick says he can continue the fighting class next year and we also have our workouts, which takes time. You'll burn yourself out for nothing."

That finally dented her determination. "Well, maybe not Muggle Studies then. Did you know you can take the OWL without taking the course?"

"There you go. I'm sure you can easily pass the OWL and not waste your time with a class you don't need. Maybe I'll do the same."

That seemed to please Hermione and she dropped the issue. Harry was still concerned that she'd try for four but decided to quit while he was ahead as Hermione had been quite stubborn on this issue.

* * *

Minerva had just finished going through the elective choices for her second year Gryffindors. She had to set one aside to have a talk with the student as Miss Granger had signed up for four of the five possible classes. There was no way she'd approve that. She was pleased with most of the electives although she did wonder how Mr. Weasley ended up not taking the same courses as his best friend Harry.

She had no idea what courses Miss Greengrass had selected but suspected that they were the same as Harry's. She was having quite the influence on Mr. Potter and it was all to the good as far as she could tell. Her talks with Harry had gone so well that they did them less often now. He seemed much less prone to brooding and his class performance had improved dramatically. Someone was finally giving Miss Granger a run for her money academically and he often surpassed her on the practicals.

What pleased her the most though was that her relationship with Harry was much more relaxed and open now. He was still obviously reticent in discussing the Dursleys but it was evident that the summer held no concern for him. She wouldn't be a bit surprised if he ended up going to Greengrass Manor rather than to his relatives. She'd give no hint of that to the headmaster as he was leaving Harry alone now and she wanted to keep it that way. She'd also felt there was no need to contact Roxanne Greengrass, Harry was finally able to concentrate on being a student and a child so there was no reason to stir anything up. If she was correct in her guess, things would become exciting enough when Albus realized that Harry was not where he wanted him to be.

Things were also going well for another of her Lions. Miss Weasley was much more cheerful and social now. It was heartening to hear her talking about having friends and she was also doing well in her classes. She'd not be surprised to see her in contention for top in her house and year despite a lacklustre start. Her next thought brought a depressed rolling of her shoulders, how she'd mistaken possession for homesickness she'd never know, she had to do better.

Shaking herself clear of those dark thoughts, her mind shifted to another of her Lions although she could take no credit for it. Mr. Longbottom's practical work had picked up quite well since he got his new wand. He'd not be in contention for top marks with the possible exception of Herbology, perhaps she should have a chat with Pomona.

The last one in that clique had her a little concerned. Mr. Weasley had improved in his practical work after getting his new wand but his theory work was still not inspiring. It was better than it had been but he was following the path of the twins rather than his other older brothers. Charlie may not have been quite as good a student as Bill but he'd been no slouch either. Percy seemed destined to be head boy with his work.

Young Ronald just wasn't up to those standards and she was slightly worried about him. He had good influences available to him but he didn't seem to be taking advantage of that. Perhaps a note to his parents would be in order. However, when she thought of the howler that his mother might send, she decided to send the note at the end of the year when her reaction would not be heard in Hogwarts.

* * *

Daphne was almost hyperventilating behind her warded and silenced bed curtains. She could shout all she wanted and nobody would know but she restrained herself. Not only would it be undignified but she needed to get what she wanted to write to Harry straight. She was so excited at the moment that she wasn't sure she would make sense to him. She went into an Occlumency trance to prepare herself.

She checked the time and it was getting a little late but time was of the essence, she'd have to hope he was still awake and be aware of her message. She took out her 'Harry Parchment' and got it ready.

 **Harry are you awake?**

She waited so long that she was about to give up when she saw the glow of a response.

 **Is everything OK?**

 **I have a plan for revenge against Lord Malfoy! It will require you and someone else to impersonate other people. We have to meet, all of us, and discuss it tomorrow. It will have to be after classes but time is of the essence. We have to have a plan tomorrow or it will be too late. Bring the potion with you, we have to make sure it's still potent.**

 **Sure. What's the plan?**

 **I'll tell you tomorrow. It's late and we both need our sleep. Besides, the plan isn't set until we all talk about it. I only have an outline right now but I think this will work!**

 **Okay, see you tomorrow then.**

* * *

Mundungus Fletcher slipped into the abandoned building off of Knockturn Alley. It was his regular time to meet with his friend Tom Burley, who was always good for some firewhiskey and a laugh. If not for that though, Mundungus wouldn't bother with him. He wasn't a customer or a good source of information but even a thief had to unwind with someone and Tom was as good as any for that.

His friend wasn't the most prompt person so he was unsurprised that Tom wasn't there yet. He settled in the room they normally used since it could not be seen directly from the outside. Most of the rest of the ground floor had broken windows that allowed for the chance of being seen. They wouldn't be doing anything really illegal but they did value their privacy.

He was surprised by the crack of Apparition, neither of them wished to attract attention so they didn't do that directly here. He'd do it to escape though and he quietly moved to where he could see into the next room. He was very surprised to see Tom but something was wrong, he was acting very nervous or frightened. What the hell was going on?

Suddenly, there was another crack of Apparition and his friend quickly moved out of his view. What was going…?

He froze in consternation when he heard his friend cry out. "Please, Lord Malfoy Sir. I din't do it! It was someone else!"

Mundungus froze in fear as he saw Lord Malfoy appear in his view. This was getting very much out of hand but he didn't dare move or Apparate unless he absolutely had to. He didn't want to have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life. A man like Lord Malfoy didn't leave loose ends and the last thing Mundungus wanted was to be considered a loose end. The only safe thing was for Malfoy to never know anyone else was there. Malfoy's response made a chill go down his spine.

"I am tired of your excuses, Burley. You have failed me once too often. Avada Kedavra!"

His heart nearly stopped beating when he saw the green flash of the spell. This was getting worse and worse! He didn't even dare breathe!

"Tinky!"

He saw a house elf appear near Malfoy but he didn't get a good look at it.

"Take the body to the usual place. It must never be found."

He heard the elf say, "Yes Master" before it moved out of sight and then he heard the quieter sound of House Elf Apparition a moment later.

He nearly peed his pants when he saw Malfoy taking a slow look around the area but he didn't seem to see Mundungus in the gloom he was hiding in. He saw Malfoy gather himself before he twirled around and after a few steps, he heard him Disapparate. He wasn't sure how long he waited, he didn't even want to move to check the time. When he had heard nothing more for the amount of time his patience could last, he Apparated away and vowed to never return to this place again. He'd miss his times with Tom but he'd never stick his neck out for him. Besides, Tom was dead and he couldn't do anything for him now and after all, there was no honour among thieves.

* * *

Roxanne kept her Occlumency active to keep her face impassive as she approached the front gate of Hogwarts. She was surprised to see Hagrid waiting for her and since she had always gotten along with him she exchanged cordial greetings as he let her in. "Perfessor Snape should 'ave 'er ready fer yeh in the entry 'all Lady Greengrass."

"Thank you, Hagrid."

They exchanged nods and she walked on the path towards the castle. Being back here brought back a flood of memories, most of them good but some bad. She'd face some of the bad soon as she had never forgiven Severus for what he'd said to their friend Lily near the end of their fifth year. She'd been somewhat friendly with him previously although never close. After that though, she had no reason to ignore his attitude nor the company he'd kept. He was a marked Death Eater and although Dumbledore seemed ready to forgive and forget, that was not how she felt.

She climbed the steps and ignoring her slight twinge of nostalgia and nervousness, she opened the door immediately. She saw the two people waiting on her as soon as she stepped in. She closed the door behind her while keeping her eyes on Severus Snape. His dark eyes glittered at her as if in challenge but she met the stare head on and didn't break the silence until he did.

"Lady Greengrass"

She knew he was an excellent Occlumens so the slight derision in his tone was deliberate. She deliberately spoke back as if it were an insult. "Professor"

He blinked first and then looked away as he unctuously said, "I trust that whatever this is will not take too much of her time from Hogwarts."

As if he cared about any of his students, she'd heard too many stories from her daughter to believe that. "Whatever it is, is none of your business and it will take as long as it takes."

He turned in a swirl of robes and muttered as he left. "I will leave it to you to find your own way out, I trust you won't get lost."

Git. However, she could control herself better than him and merely ignored what he said and gave a smile to her daughter. "Come, Daphne, we have much to do."

"Yes, Mother." Daphne looked perfectly composed and followed her out. If she held the door slightly more than necessary for her own passage, there was nobody around to notice so Roxanne did not worry.

They walked in composed silence and Roxanne noted that even Hagrid was gone so there was no evident observation of their departure. She was slightly discomfited with the lack of security but it suited her at the moment so she'd do nothing about it. Of course, there could be some unseen observer so she led the way silently until they could be outside the grounds and less apt to be spied upon.

When she cleared the gate, she turned to watch her daughter and saw her hold the gate open for a moment longer than necessary before closing it. Roxanne gave her a small smile then led the way along the wall before stopping where they were unlikely to be seen from Hogwarts and casting a silent privacy spell.

"Is everyone here?"

She saw her daughter smirk as two heads suddenly appeared from thin air to her side. In the next moment two boys in casual attire appeared and the dark haired one approached her and accepted her offered hand. Her breath nearly caught in her throat, he looked so much like James but she saw Lily's eyes. She had to mentally shake herself to the present when he said, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Greengrass." His bow was low and his lips nearly met her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, Heir Potter. Now, please, let us dispense with the formalities. I have wanted to see you again for many years, Harry. Please call me Roxanne." She then pulled him into an affectionate hug. She was disappointed when he stiffened. She hoped it was only surprise and not still the effects of whatever those awful Muggles had done to him. She was relieved when he relaxed and returned the hug. One down and one to go.

She ignored Harry's blush and her eyes sought the other boy who was now approaching her. He'd inherited the shape of his mother's face and there was also a hint of her in his eyes. The boy bowed low just as Harry had. "It is a pleasure to meet you again, Lady Greengrass."

"It is my pleasure that we may now meet more informally, Heir Longbottom. Please call me Roxanne and I hope I may call you Neville."

Neville blushed spectacularly but managed to speak politely. "Of Course, Roxanne. Daphne is my friend and I have high hopes that we can all be friends."

She pulled him into a hug as well and although he didn't stiffen nearly as much as Harry had, she could still detect his discomfort so she released him sooner than she'd wished. She had to pull herself into her Occlumency trance again so her emotions didn't overcome her. "It was my great pleasure to be good friends with both of your mothers. I want you both to know that I will always be true to the both of you and protect you however I can. I will be there tonight and will take any measure necessary to protect you both. Neville, are you certain you want to participate in what we will do tonight?"

"Absolutely, Lady … err, sorry, Roxanne. If Harry needs me, I will always be there. We have a familial alliance and anything less than my full support would be an insult to both our houses."

She was very glad that she already had her trance going, otherwise his quiet declaration would have brought her to tears. He was so like his parents and it almost physically hurt to see them in him. She didn't want to embarrass him again so she refrained from another hug. "I did not know your father as well as your mother but I do know that they would both be very proud of you at this moment, Neville."

She saw him stand taller and he seemed to have pull himself together a little bit too. "Thank you, Roxanne. It is my hope that I can live up to the example of both of my parents."

Suddenly Harry spoke up and his eyes seemed to glitter when he looked at Neville. "I think you're doing a good job of that already, Neville. I'm trying to do the same." The two boys smiled at each other but Roxanne sensed they were getting emotional and needed a distraction.

"Harry, is your house elf available?"

"Sure. Dobby!"

A house elf appeared in front of Harry and stated talking. "Harry Potter sir needs Dobby?" He then noticed Roxanne and practically prostrated himself in front of her. "Sorry, Dobby was not seeing Lady Greengrass!"

Roxanne was astonished by his reaction but then remembered how he must have been treated by the Malfoys. "You have given me no offense, Dobby. You only need to answer to Harry, not to me."

The house elf gave her an astonished look but then smiled. "Dobby is liking Lady Greengrass!"

She chuckled at his enthusiasm but they had things to do. "Thank you, Dobby. Do you understand what you need to do tonight?"

"Yes, Dobby understands."

"I would not be able to Apparate all three of them at once. Can you follow me with the boys when I take Daphne?"

"Dobby will be able to go to Mistress Daphne anytime. Dobby can follow with both sirs."

Roxanne was still enough in her trance to stifle her reaction but she saw that Daphne's impassiveness faltered in reaction. Obviously she realized what that meant. Neville must suspect as he gave Dobby a curious look and then glanced at Daphne who had recovered her outward aplomb by then. Harry looked oblivious so she decided to continue past this awkward moment.

"Very well, Dobby. Follow me with the boys." She held out her arm and Daphne quickly grasped her arm firmly. They Apparated away immediately. They appeared in an abandoned building and Daphne quickly began to speak, "Mother, I never said anything to…."

She cut her off as the boys could be there at any moment. "We can discuss this later, Daphne."

Daphne had just finished nodding her acceptance when Dobby appeared with both boys. When she had all of their attention Roxanne began to speak.

"This is the building where they meet. I have already put silencing wards around this place so we won't attract attention. We have about two hours before he will appear. We can practice and familiarize ourselves with the rooms. Based on my investigation, it appears that this room over here is where they meet and this room would be where we want to stage our little play. I have one of Mr. Burley's actual robes and I have a copy of one of Lord Malfoy's robes." She looked at Harry and asked, "Do you have the potion?"

"Yes, I brought all four vials."

He pulled two from one pocket and two from another and offered them to her. She checked the appearance and amount and found them all to be consistent with fresh, complete doses.

"Very good, Harry. These look fine." She put them in one of her own pockets and removed two smaller vials of her own. "I have the hairs, this vial contains hairs from Mr. Burley's comb supplied by his widow. This contains hairs from Lord Malfoy obtained a few months ago. My husband, like any true Slytherin, plans ahead."

She grinned at the boys who grinned back. Her daughter was distracted so she led the boys through what they had to do. By their fifth time through, they seemed to be at ease with what they had to do, even Dobby. The trick wand that was part of a duplicate of Malfoy's cane flashed a green spell consistently and Dobby was very good at simulating the sounds of human Apparition. Everything was falling into place.

* * *

Daphne had planned to be a more active participant in this endeavour but one statement by a house elf had completely thrown her off her game. She had never in word or deed implied any ownership of Dobby. She had never given him an order nor summoned him. She had never done anything with Harry that would make anyone consider them as betrothed.

She was well aware of the fact that house elves were sensitive to the magics involving their owners. She was also cognizant of how house elves addressed people. Calling her 'mistress' had implied a connection of ownership between her and Dobby or a strong connection between her and his owner, Harry. How could either be possible?

The only thing she could think of is that Harry had said or done something with Dobby while she wasn't around that he should obey her as he obeyed him or implied a betrothal or some other lifelong commitment with her. She could not imagine him doing the latter since she was not ready to date. However, asking Harry if he'd told Dobby to obey her would just bring up the subject when it was apparent he was unaware of the implications of Dobby's statement.

She had to force herself to focus on her duties when it came close to the time for the arrival of Mundungus Fletcher. She was disillusioned by her mother and was the lookout for anyone approaching the building. Her duties were fulfilled when their performance was completed with no clarity for her whatsoever. She had no idea what she'd say to her mother if she brought it up. _**If**_ , right. She would bring it up, how could she not?

* * *

Roxanne spent most of her time glaring at the sorry excuse for a wizard that they were forced to use as a witness. They might be better off staging their scene at some random location with whomever happened to be there as far as accomplishing their objective. However, they needed this controlled environment for the safety of the children. The victim in this case was an employee of their target Lord Malfoy and this is the sort of person such people associated with.

She'd been quite willing to use deadly force to protect the children in her care but that was completely unnecessary as they were not interrupted and Fletcher was completely docile. Once their witness departed, she removed Harry's invisibility cloak that he'd insisted that she use and she was very impressed by it. She'd never seen one of such quality before and she'd seen the occasional odd glow where magic had been applied and she'd never heard of a cloak doing that. She went out where the elf was supposed to hide the boys and there they were, still in their potion-induced bodies.

"Thank you, Dobby. Again follow me to where I take Daphne, OK?"

"Yes, Lady Greengrass. Dobby understands."

She found Daphne and cancelled the disillusionment on her and she Apparated them to the office of one of her husband's warehouses. The elf and boys appeared momentarily later. Daphne stood quietly with her mother when she spoke to the boys. "We'll have to wait for you to recover from the potion before we can return to Hogwarts anyway. Do you have your clothing?"

Harry lifted a bundle he was holding and she nodded her understanding. "Good. You two can relax here while I have a conversation with Daphne. We will return shortly."

She walked into a small break room and when Daphne had gone to the table and sat down, she put a privacy spell on the door and sat across from her. Daphne was covering her nervousness fairly well but her mother could still tell. Before she could ask, Daphne began to speak.

"The only thing I can think of is that Harry told him to obey me too. No other explanation makes sense."

Actually there was another explanation but it would just annoy her daughter and she would not accomplish anything by bringing it up. "That would make sense." She saw Daphne relax and hid her smile. She thought it more likely that the two were forming a magical bond that Dobby could sense. However, she wasn't certain so she would only keep it in the back of her mind for now.

"How did you think it went?"

"I didn't see much but what I heard was very good. I know Harry sounded like Lucius Malfoy and I assume that Neville sounded like Mr. Burley."

"I think they did a marvellous job. They scared Fletcher pretty badly and I'm sure he believed everything he saw."

"Do you think he will come forward?"

"Not at all, he's a coward. He'll have to be forced into it but others will handle that and our part is done. I need to speak with Harry for a few moments, you can keep Neville company while I do that."

She saw Daphne give her a slightly worried look but she cleared her face before they returned to the boys. She watched Daphne's reaction and she again got the impression that she did not like seeing Harry look like Lucius Malfoy. Roxanne wasn't a fan of it either but it looked especially annoying to her daughter. She thought she knew why but would keep that to herself as well.

"The two of you did very well. Harry, I'd like a moment with you next."

It amused her to see a slightly concerned look come to Lucius Malfoy's face, something that the real one would avoid at all costs. He followed her quietly and they ended up in the same chairs as Daphne and herself had just occupied.

"Harry, I already know that Daphne has extended an invitation to stay with us for the summer but I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to extend that invitation personally. Your mother Lily was a close friend of mine and I would be honoured to have you stay with us. When she and James asked if my husband and I would consider being your guardians if needed, we said yes. It would be a great relief for all of us if you would come to live with us for the summer."

She had seen him relax almost immediately as she spoke and the big grin by the end was something she'd never seen or ever expect to see on the real Lucius Malfoy. "Thank you Lady – Roxanne." Harry paused to blush and she waited calmly to reduce his embarrassment. "I'm grateful and I accept your hospitality."

"Excellent, Harry. I'm glad that we have that resolved. I promise you that you will always be welcome wherever I live. There may not be any formal agreement between House Greengrass and House Potter yet but I consider you an ally and hopefully a friend."

"Thank you. I hope that someday we can make an alliance a reality between us. I appreciate what you are doing for me and I won't forget it."

She smiled at Harry before saying, "I look forward to that day, Harry. Now, let's go back to the others and wait for that potion to wear off."

Harry nodded back to her as they got up to leave the break room.

* * *

Things were awkward for the four Gryffindors that morning. McGonagall had forced Hermione to drop Divination to get down to three electives and she was in a foul mood. Her most common reaction to anything after that was a glare. The other three still stayed near her but they knew better than to try to engage in any unnecessary chit-chat.

Things had been going pretty well for most of the DADA class but then Lockhart started talking about his new book 'Basking with Basilisks', which included his defeat of the monster from the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had a bad feeling when a glowering Hermione raised her hand. He couldn't believe what she said when the professor called on her.

"How can you sleep at night after taking credit for someone else's accomplishments?"

Harry saw her glaring at the professor so he looked for his reaction and saw pure befuddlement. Apparently, he was still under the impression that Hermione was one of his fans.

"Miss Granger, are you suggesting that I have taken credit that I am not due?"

"I'm not suggesting it." He saw the professor relax. "I'm stating it as a fact!"

It was Harry's turn to worry. He was sitting next to her so he turned to her, dreading what she might say next.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger!"

This was getting out of hand. He reached over and gripped her nearest wrist and when she angrily turned to look at him, he pleaded with her to drop it as he whispered, "Don't."

She glared back at him and ripped her arm away from his grasp. She folded her arms over her chest and silently glared at the professor. He was thrown off his game so badly that he ended up letting them go early.

The three Gryffindor boys followed after her as they headed towards their tower. They let her get ahead of them and stayed back. They noticed that the rest of their year mates stayed even farther back. Harry was tempted to throw a glare at them for being cowards but then he wasn't too anxious to face her again either.

Harry's heart plummeted when she got into a shouting match with the fat lady. This was very bad, he'd never seen her so angry. The portrait eventually opened and Hermione stomped into the common room. The three boys came up to the portrait to see a pouting fat lady who eventually started to glare at them.

He looked at his two friends and asked, "What do you reckon we ought to do?"

Neville's eyes got big and then he said, "Don't look at me. You two have known her longer than I have."

Harry gave him a disappointed look and turned to Ron who looked more pale than usual. "I think we ought to let her calm down on her own. See if she wants to talk in a day or two."

"A day or two?" Harry gave Ron the disappointed look next and Ron just shrugged back.

Harry grumbled to himself about Gryffindors who had no courage and gave the password. The fat lady was still upset but she opened promptly. Harry entered with his two friends and started approaching Hermione. He saw her sitting at the table with her book bag on the floor, her arms folded over her chest and she was glaring at the wall. Harry slowed to a stop as he recalled Daphne's comments about courage vs. stupidity. Maybe Ron was on to something and she needed some time to herself.

He turned and headed for the stairway to the boys' dorms. He heard a couple of snickers behind him but ignored them. Wankers, the both of them.

* * *

Mundungus Fletcher honestly had no idea how he'd gotten into this mess. He must have been obliviated but unfortunately, he'd used that excuse a couple of times in the past and those damned Aurors had to go and keep records and know all about it. This time it was real though! However, he'd finally had to concede that he had no way of proving it.

He wouldn't worry at all about possession of stolen property, which was nothing to him. However, they seemed to have proof he'd stolen the loot himself and they kept hinting that they had other cases that they'd like to pin on him. He tried not to cringe when he heard someone coming towards his holding cell, he knew they wouldn't give up that easily.

Just his luck, it was an Auror with a big smile and a copy of the Daily Prophet. He didn't know what the paper had to do with whatever he wanted to talk about but Mundungus was certain he wouldn't enjoy the conversation.

"What's wrong, Dung? You don't look happy to see me."

He gave him a mild glare, the most he thought he could get away with.

"We're curious about the death of your good friend Tom Burley."

What? Very few people knew about him and Tom. Had somebody set him up? Maybe he could try that defence.

"We're not the only ones. See this article? Somebody has put up a 25,000 Galleon reward for whoever can help convict his killer."

Dung had never seen much less possessed that much money at one time. He could set himself up in an at least semi-legal business with that kind of money. The moment his hands touched the paper he knew he had to have that money, would do anything to have it. He'd even tell the truth.

* * *

The moment he'd seen the projected memory, Lucius knew he was in trouble. The thief's testimony under veritaserum hadn't bothered him much but that memory pulled the rug out from under him. At that moment, he knew somebody powerful was behind this. Somebody with a lot of resources who would not leave things to chance. He was in real jeopardy of being convicted.

Somebody knew he used Tinky to dispose of those things he didn't want found. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that memory. That was his face, his cane and his voice. That looked like one of his robes. That had looked and sounded exactly like the late Tom Burley.

The irony was, that although this memory was false he was guilty. He'd never been to that place nor said exactly those words but he was guilty of this crime. He had used Avada Kedavra and he had used Tinky to dispose of the body. The only thing they'd missed is that he had transfigured the corpse into a pig carcass before Tinky dumped it in the Acromantula lair in the Forbidden Forest.

Someone knew him well enough to pretend to be him effectively. They knew his habits, knew where he'd be that night and could duplicate his possessions. If that someone had influence in the Wizengamot as well, he was doomed. He contemplated who would be the key member to whether he had a chance and decided it was Lord Ogden. Although he was not one he bribed, he generally saw eye-to-eye with him and didn't require bribing. If Ogden was with him, he had a real chance of acquittal. His eyes sought him out and saw him as he looked back with a smirking stare. He was doomed, without support from conservatives like him, he'd be convicted.

He listened to his barrister blather on but paid little attention as it meant nothing. He had no alibi as not only had he been meeting with his employees in his black market potion business at that time, they were bound by oaths that would kill them if they spoke of him. Even if he could offer them for an alibi, they'd never survive confirming it. He knew any defence not covered by evidence as thorough as the prosecution had would fail. He was going to Azkaban, the only question was for how long.

* * *

Harry knew from Hermione's expression that it was good news when she passed him the newspaper. He smiled as he read the headline.

 **Lord Malfoy Sentenced to Life in Azkaban!**

He looked to the Slytherin table but saw no sign of the younger Malfoy. Next his eyes sought Daphne and he saw her look back at him and wink. She looked back down at her breakfast but the message was delivered. Mission accomplished.

* * *

Filius had to admit that he was having great fun teaching them to fight. He'd taught them more goblin hand-to-hand fighting techniques than he'd planned but it was paying off. Harry, Daphne and Neville showed real promise and Ron and Tracey had some potential. Unfortunately, Hermione didn't have the drive or appetite to be good at it.

For this night, he tried some two on one duelling. Hermione had lost to Ron and Neville as they had coordinated well and she had not been aggressive enough. Harry had nearly won the stalemate against the two Slytherins as he'd stunned Tracey and kept Daphne so busy and driven her back so that she couldn't revive her. He'd run out of time though so he'd had to call it a draw.

Daphne had complimented Harry at the end of the duel and the way she kept watching him, he suspected they'd be a couple one day if Miss Greengrass had anything to say about it. The Potter boy seemed oblivious as befitted his gender and age but he was sure that Miss Greengrass would teach him a thing or two. Minerva had given him promising guesses about Potter but Filius wanted to be sure plus he was going to sound out Harry on duelling. When he dismissed the others with his compliments on their effort, he held Harry back.

Once the others had left Harry turned to him and asked, "Is there a problem professor?"

"Not at all, Mr. Potter. I have enjoyed teaching this class. I rarely get to do so much one on one instruction and it is reminded me of my days on the duelling circuit. Actually, that is one of the things I'd like to talk about. You have some real potential, have you ever considered entering duelling tournaments?"

"Not really. I'm only vaguely aware of them but I've heard that you were very good at it."

"I was and I'd always hoped that I might one day coach someone on the duelling circuit. You have real potential. If you have the motivation and time, I'd be interested in mentoring you."

He waited with a small smile as the boy looked gobsmacked. He finally recovered and began to respond. "I appreciate the thought, Professor. Right now though, I'd have to say no. I expect to be rather busy this summer and I'd have to know more about what I'm getting into before I could give a positive answer. I hope you understand."

"Absolutely! If you don't have both the drive and time to focus on this, duelling is not for you. Although it would help you to get in sooner rather than later, I myself didn't start taking it seriously until I was 15. You still have time if you want to reconsider."

"Thanks again. Professor."

"The other thing I wanted to bring up is rather personal in nature. I won't be offended if you don't want to discuss it with me. It's just that I want to be sure that your summer accommodations will be safe." He could see that boy was being careful and thinking before he responded, that was very encouraging.

"I feel very good about where I'll be this summer. It will probably be the best summer ever."

"I suspect the headmaster might not like your choice but do not be concerned. I am much more interested in a student's wellbeing than what the headmaster wants."

Harry grinned and said, "Thank you, Professor. You and Professor McGonagall have been wonderful to me this year. I appreciate what you have both done."

"I'm just trying to do my job, Mr. Potter. However, I appreciate the fact that you feel we are doing it well."

* * *

He may have arranged to be in the minimum security wing but Azkaban was still an awful place to be. He seldom felt the effects of Dementors and never very closely but he was still in a cell. In a dark, poorly ventilated, depressing, boring cell. Only his family and barrister had visited and there were restrictions on how often they could visit.

This gave Lucius a lot of time to think. He should have been more suspicious that a no-account like Burley had somehow been worth a 25,000 galleon reward. Even his widow didn't seem to care that much, not that she had the money to do it anyway. Whoever had conspired to put him here had put up that money and it was a minor expenditure to whoever it was.

He would dearly love to know who had done this to him. He had enemies aplenty, that was not a promising starting point for an investigation. He had tried to find out who put up that reward but had no luck whatsoever. That meant the mystery person(s) were careful and probably powerful and most likely from a pureblood family like him.

Unfortunately for him, the more time that passed the less control he had. He could still get information but his ability to control events outside his cell was eroding every day. Receipts from the black market potions business were dropping. As far as he knew they were making as much of it as ever, they must be keeping more of the profits for themselves. He had never had a second in command, never shared vital information on his businesses, not even with his wife.

The problem was, he had no ready enforcer to take back control. He sometimes sent a thug like Crabbe or Goyle but most of his enforcement had been done personally. He couldn't trust those idiots to act on their own now as they'd probably get themselves caught, the inbred imbeciles.

His wife had been a Black and she could be a heartless bitch if she wanted to be but he couldn't trust her. Theirs was the epitome of a pureblood marriage: loveless and arranged. She had gotten her duty of providing an heir out of the way quickly and didn't associate with him more than duty required ever since. She'd gladly host a ball or party, take in the current gossip for any potential interesting nuggets, he could depend on her for that. However, he was certain that she knew about his preference for boys. He'd been discrete but she was a Black and despite him disposing of the remains as he had Burley it had gone on for too long, she must know.

Her only weakness was that disappointment of an heir that she had provided him. He should have taken a firmer hand with the boy more often but he'd spent time on business and his hobbies and left too much of raising Draco to her. She would do much, perhaps anything, for her son. However, if she felt it was advantageous to their son, she'd abandon him here and never lift a finger to help. His only hope was that one day his investigations would bear fruit and he'd have someone he could try to lash out at.

* * *

Harry had gotten the first settlement check from the contractors and although they were going to store much of their harvest to avoid flooding the market, his initial share of the proceeds was still nearly 350,000 galleons. He transferred half to the account Daphne had designated for her and put some of his money in his own account and some in the account for the school that McGonagall had told him about. Now he had to find her and tell her to start buying new school brooms and that they could fund more scholarships.


	15. Meeting the Parents

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing and special thanks to Shygui for all of his beta help. It's about time for the school year to end, don't you think?

Pressure is something you feel when you don't know what the hell you're doing. - Peyton Manning

The weeks had turned to months and it was now early June and the summer break was looming larger in Daphne's mind. She wasn't worried about it at all, as a matter of fact she was quite looking forward to it. After meeting her mother, even Harry seemed to be looking forward to it. She was content but still had the niggle of disappointment that Harry wasn't ready for dating,

It seemed ironic to her that something she had resisted for almost her entire life was what she wanted and now she couldn't have it. She sighed when she thought that things had been easier before but even her forced waiting was bearable. She had already decided that the Harry she had come to know was worth waiting for and this wasn't enough to change her mind.

They had their occasional private meeting, physical training, magical practice and fighting lessons together. Sure, she had to share most of that time with others as well but it was still time with Harry and she enjoyed it nonetheless. Harry had not shown any signs of discomfort with how things were and obviously valued their time together as well. Life may not idyllic but it was good, very good.

One night she'd heard a disturbing rumour about the Aurors coming to Hogwarts and parents coming for one of the students. She didn't see how it could have anything to do with Harry and when she'd written to him, he had expressed complete ignorance of anything going on. She was still relieved to see him with his friends at breakfast but she did notice some disquiet amongst the professors and that one of them was missing as once again, Professor Ponce was not in attendance. Then she noted the lone exception, Snape actually looked pleased. He may be her head of house but him being pleased about something wasn't necessarily good news.

She came alert when Dumbledore rose and began to speak.

"I am sure there are already some rumours going around to I wanted to give you the news right away. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor will not be available for the rest of the year and I will be filling in for him. Also, Miss Wilkins has gone home for an undetermined amount of time, please do not pester her with questions when she returns. That is all."

From the whispering and consternation at the Hufflepuff table, she surmised that she was one of the Puffs. Sure enough she soon heard from the local gossip, Sophie Roper, that she was a sixth year who had apparently been seduced by the missing professor. Given that she was not yet 17 and had pureblood parents, this was quite the scandal. She exchanged disturbed looks with Tracey and then her eyes sought out Harry. He looked quite upset so he'd probably heard what had happened as well. She turned back to her breakfast and picked at it, shifting it around her plate until it was time to go.

* * *

Severus Snape was pleased that the ponce was gone and had at least left his Slytherins alone. However, his offer to take the ponce's place in teaching DADA had been ignored. Someday, the old fool would have to realize that his best post was DADA. Sure he was an excellent potions master but that didn't mean he was a good professor for that field. He'd quickly run out of patience with all of the dunderheads he'd had to teach potions, which is a very exacting art intolerant of fools.

He decided he had better check his house for issues. His eyes scanned the girls but stopped when he saw Draco. That made him think of the position Lucius had left him in. He had offered to be available for a talk if Draco wished but he had declined. He had become sullen and withdrawn but kept his studies up to an acceptable level. Neither of his parents had contacted him about his duties as Godfather so he had held back after his offer.

His eyes then continued to check the girls and frowned when he saw Miss Greengrass looking across the room at someone. He looked around and didn't see anyone that had obviously been looking back. He considered having a talk with her about proper behaviour for a pureblood heiress but then his thoughts went to his encounter with her mother. No, Daphne would be off limits for him unless he was forced to intervene. Her mother knew entirely too much about his past for him to want to face her again, once was quite enough.

* * *

Harry heaved a sigh as he entered his dorm room, he'd had enough of Hermione obsessing over some of her answers on the final exams. This year, he felt very good about his finals and they were now in the past as far as he was concerned. He felt he'd made his case for second in his house and year and now he was willing to let the chips fall where they may. He briefly wondered who had taken second in first year, he doubted it was any of the other boys, probably it was Parvati.

They still had all day tomorrow to pack so he decided to sit on his bed for now. He had just started thinking about what to do when Ron entered and came over to sit on his bed also. "Hey, mate. You all set with your plans for the summer?"

Harry had to resist rolling his eyes. Ron was still not comfortable with his plans and wanted him to try to spend the summer at the Burrow. Given how his mother sided with Dumbledore, Harry knew that wouldn't work at all. "I have told you several times now, Ron. Lady Greengrass assured me that I'm welcome and that's where I'm going to stay. If your mother is OK with it, we can visit."

He could tell that Ron was disgruntled with this decision but at least he was keeping it to himself. He could tell that Ron was casting about for a new subject so Harry started to think about one himself. He was a little surprised at what Ron came up with.

"So, you heard any more about Sirius Black?"

That was a relief as that was something he didn't mind talking about. "No, all I know is he never got a trial. I'm hoping that there might be something useful in my parents' will when I see it this summer."

Ron looked sympathetic. "I can't believe your parents' will still hasn't been read."

Harry barely suppressed a huff of disgust and his voice was cold as he said, "You can blame Dumbledore for that."

Ron started to say something but then closed his mouth. After a moment, he again changed the subject. "You'll write to me?"

"Of course I will. I'm going to write to all of my friends."

Ron got a teasing look before he said, "Except Daphne, of course. You can just talk to her."

Harry rolled his eyes playfully. "Yes. Except for Daphne."

* * *

Peter had been asleep on Ron's pillow. Although Harry's entry had awakened him he didn't pay much attention until he heard the dreaded words, 'Sirius Black'. At first, he'd panicked thinking that he was loose but then realized the boy was trying to find out about him. What was disturbing was that he didn't seem to blame him for his parents' deaths. What did he know?

Then the news got worse. They were going to read the Potter will? That could be very bad news. He'd been shocked that his spontaneous frame-up of Sirius had worked as long as it had. How could James and Lily – especially Lily – have not left some sort of fail-safe in case they were killed? He'd sought a wizarding home just so he knew when the news hit yet for years it never did. From what the Potter brat said, the contents of the will would be known soon.

Long ago, if his cover was blown he'd planned to try to find the spirit of his master as he knew he hadn't truly died that night. He'd come up with no better plan in the meantime so this summer, he had to disappear. He'd listened in on the disgusting 'pillow talk' of the elder Weasleys and heard rumours of his master's presence in Eastern Europe, particularly in Albania. Unfortunately, he'd also heard many things he'd prefer to have never known. Some nights he had wished that he could obliviate himself.

The problem was travelling in Britain where he was known by too many. Travelling as a rat was dangerous, he'd had too many close calls just getting to the Weasleys' dump of a house. He'd have to watch for a chance to stow away somehow. He had to get out of Britain and then he could risk time as a human. He wasn't very good at glamours but he'd have to try.

He'd grown to hate the other three Marauders. Sure they let him tag along but they gave him the crap jobs like being the lookout or dropping something where they wanted it to be whilst they kept all the plum jobs for themselves. He'd never wanted to be the one with no recognition, he'd had enough of that from his family. When he'd first met the Marauders, he had thought he would finally have his chance to shine. Not that those show-offs and glory hogs would let him. He'd bided his time and when he got his chance to get some glory, he'd chosen what he thought would be the winning side.

He'd once had a crush on Lily but she spent her time with that awful Severus and then later, she had started to fancy James Potter. Why did he get to have everything? He deserved some luck too! He thought he'd finally chosen the right path. He would be rewarded by the Dark Lord but instead that mudblood had somehow managed to turn the tables on someone as powerful as the Dark Lord. Even to this day, he couldn't conceive of how she had managed to do that.

Now he hated her, he hated the so-called Marauders and he hated Harry Bloody Potter. True, he didn't act much like his father but he looked like him except for those piercing Lily eyes of his. It had creeped him out seeing her eyes in his face. He'd always felt that she was the one who was most suspicious of him and he was still surprised that James had convinced her to use him as the secret keeper. He'd had nightmares of her coming back to reveal who he really was. He didn't like spending time near Harry.

Soon, that would no longer be an issue. His time of leisure as a pampered pet was nearing an end. Sometime this summer, he would have to take his chance and leave.

* * *

Narcissa stared out the window, grateful that her loneliness would soon be broken by the return of her son. She didn't really miss her husband. She'd learned early on that he was not worthy of her respect but he had complied with the terms of the marriage contract so she had done the same. He had complied until recently, that is. He'd had to promise to keep a good reputation and one of the violations of that was for getting sent to Azkaban. Somehow, that idiot had managed to get caught in a way even he couldn't wriggle out of.

She'd actually be glad to be shut of him but for her to be extricated from the marriage, she needed a Lord Black to activate the clause and terminate her marriage. She had checked and the goblins had insisted that her cousin Sirius was Lord Black. She had thought he'd been disowned and she also didn't know how his lordship survived being sentenced to Azkaban. There was nothing for it, she was still caught in her marriage to that berk Lucius Malfoy.

She had to make plans for the future but her information sources had dried up, nobody would want to come to a party hosted by her and her invitations had dried up the moment Lucius had been convicted. She'd have to talk to Draco to find out what his prospects were. Her major objective would be to put her son in the best situation possible. Her own fate was secondary.

* * *

Their breakfast had been started in an unusual way when Professor McGonagall gave Harry a note along with a heartfelt farewell, it had left Harry blushing and many of his fellow Gryffindors looking gobsmacked. He relaxed when the twins teased him about being 'teacher's pet' and read the note as unobtrusively as possible under the circumstances.

When he finished reading, Hermione leaned over to whisper, "What did she say?"

Harry couldn't help but respond loud enough for all his friends to hear with a big grin, "She says if I need any help this summer just to owl her and nothing will stop her from coming to get me."

He didn't know what else to say but he luxuriated in the happy grins of his friends. Harry had never felt so wanted and appreciated in his life. It was so unusual for him that he had no idea what to do but he wasn't complaining because as problems go, this was a good one to have.

Harry made his way to the train with his Gryffindor friends. Daphne and Tracey had gone as early as they could as was normal for them while the rest had to wait for Ron to finish packing although Harry had managed to pressure him into being more punctual than usual. They settled into the first empty compartment they'd found. Harry would stay with them for most of the trip before heading over to join the Slytherins.

He had gone over how to greet a lord with Neville the previous night and his friend had been very patient with him as he obsessed over the details over and over. He tried not to fret about it and finally got into a loud game of exploding snap with his three other friends and occasional additions such as the twins at one point. Eventually, he realized it was time for him to join Daphne.

Since they had occasional passers-by gawking at them, Harry first drew the blinds. His next challenge was his trunk as he certainly couldn't drag it around as it was and remain undetected. He'd practiced for it but it still took him three tries to shrink it enough to put into his pocket and even then his pocket bulged more than he liked. He had his cloak ready but first turned to his friends and saw all three of them looking solemn.

He huffed at them. "It's only the summer and I'll write to all of you, I promise!" That got two of them to lighten up but Ron still looked too serious. He exchanged goodbyes with all of them but then looked at the door in chagrin as he got his cloak ready.

Hermione came to his rescue. "I need to go to the loo anyway, Harry. I'll make sure you get out undetected."

He couldn't resist teasing her though so he responded with a wry grin. "So that's why one of your legs was bouncing lately."

She narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Shut up!" She tried to hit him but he dodged her and then disappeared under the cloak. "You'd better hide, Potter!" Her smile took the sting out of her words. He then followed her out and she greeted someone in the hall as she leaned against the door momentarily before finally closing it after he'd emerged as well.

She was headed in the opposite direction so they split up immediately. There were a few people loitering or passing through but with a little care he had no trouble navigating his way to search for where Daphne was. He was frustrated when he reached what must be the correct compartment as it was the only one with all the shades down that he'd seen so far, only to find a mix of Slytherins and Ravenclaws talking in the hall. All he could do is stay away from everyone and wait for his opportunity.

His thoughts started going through possible bad scenarios while he was waiting. What if she had changed her mind? What if his meeting with her father goes badly? What if they get sick of having him around and sent him away? He knew he was worrying about things that probably would never happen and with a little difficulty pulled himself into an Occlumency trance and his emotions settled down and he was able to watch and wait mostly dispassionately.

The group finally broke up and as soon as the coast was clear, he went up to the door and tapped it once with his wand. He then stepped back and waited. He heard the door click and them a moment later, Tracey stepped out and held the door open while she talked to Daphne.

"I won't be long. Don't get too lonely without me." She winked at Daphne as Harry carefully passed through and once he was in, the door shut and he stepped aside and took the hood off since the blinds were closed already and nobody would see him.

"Harry!" He was surprised when she immediately got up and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug through the cloak a little awkwardly as he was taken by surprise. He was accustomed to hugs from her but this seemed a little more urgent than usual. He recovered when she turned and hit the door with a couple of spells.

"Keep the cloak around you for now until Tracey gets back. You can take it off for the rest of the ride after she's back. So how has your ride been so far?"

"Fine…. Is something wrong?"

He saw her cheeks pink up a bit. "Nothing. Why would something be wrong?"

"You seemed rather anxious when I came in."

"Oh." She turned away for a moment but then turned back with a more stoic look. "It was nothing. I just let myself wonder if you'd change your mind or something."

He chuckled, "Don't worry about it. I did the same thing."

That got a genuine smile from her. "I guess we should both stop worrying about things that aren't going to happen."

"Agreed. Well, at least I'm going to try."

"Let me guess, meeting my father?"

It was Harry's turn to blush. "Yeah. Just meeting the Lord of a Most Ancient and Noble House, no pressure."

She slapped his shoulder. "Prat. You seem to be forgetting that you are the heir to a Most Ancient and Noble House. However, I did want to warn you that father will test you. I want you to be ready."

Harry's mouth was suddenly dry. "Test me? Test me how and why is this just coming up now?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's just coming up now so you wouldn't obsess over it unnecessarily. All you have to do is be yourself and stay confident. You'll be fine."

He had to quell his panic. "Why is confidence important?"

* * *

Daphne felt a little guilty. Waiting to warn him was a risk but she'd thought that it was worth it at the time. Now she had to explain herself well. Losing his confidence and trust would devastate her.

"First of all, he will have to deal with you eventually in the Wizengamot. He'll want to know what sort of person he will have to deal with. As I've told you, my father thinks ahead. He won't pass on the opportunity to test a future Lord. He'll also want to know what sort of friend I have made." She didn't add 'or more than a friend'. Her father must at the very least suspect that there was more than friendship at this point.

"My father will respect someone who is confident. If the thinks you are easy to manipulate, he will try to do just that. Once you lose his respect, it will be very difficult to get it back. Harry, if I had any doubt about you passing his test, I would not have invited you and put you in this situation. You'll be fine." She tried to give him her most confident look and hoped for the best.

He looked like he was thinking deeply about what she'd said but he was frowning, which worried her. She decided that she'd better add a little more information regarding her father. "My father is not mean. He won't do anything to you during your stay, it's just future interactions that would be affected by his impression of you. I guarantee he will be a good host this summer." For future interactions that she was hoping for like being her boyfriend, Harry had to make a good impression.

He had looked at her while she spoke and his frown seemed to ease. However, before either of them could say any more, she saw the flare on the door that meant someone had tapped it with their wand. Tracey was back and she had to let her in.

"Harry, Tracey is back. Please put on the cloak until I secure the door again."

She saw him disappear so she got up, cancelled her locking spells and opened the door to let Tracey in. As Tracey entered, she gave her a questioning look and she tried to return a confident smile but wasn't sure about her success. As she re-sealed the door she had a wild and disconcerting thought that Harry might have slipped out but suppressed it. She turned back to look where Harry had been as Tracey carefully sat on the other bench.

"You can take it off now, Harry."

She heard nothing but then Harry abruptly appeared standing near where he'd been as he removed the cloak and laid it on the bench beside where he'd sat. He then returned to where he'd been sitting. She watched his face during this time and had to remind herself to breathe. He looked serious but not angry. She still wasn't sure if they were OK now though.

He remained silent as she retook her seat near him so she glanced at Tracey who was giving her an inquisitive look. She shook her head no and then looked back towards Harry who then looked back at her.

His face was stoic while he asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"No, that was it." She couldn't help a nervous swallow.

"OK."

"Are you mad at me?"

"A little. I can understand you not wanting me to worry but I don't like surprises like this. I now know how to use Occlumency to overcome strong emotion as you are well aware, I wouldn't have worried too much."

"I'm sorry. However, I have absolute confidence that you'll have no problem with him. Just remember that someday you'll have an equal rank and be yourself. That's all you'll need."

He gave her a serious look but then a smile slowly appeared on his face. "So, what are we going to do until we get to the station?"

She didn't try to suppress her sigh of relief as she smiled back at him. She hadn't lost him.

* * *

Tracey had felt slightly freaked out when she got back to the compartment. Daphne was being way too careful and tentative and Harry was too serious. She eventually realized that they'd been talking about meeting her father. Daphne for reasons only she would know had apparently waited until about an hour from the station and meeting him to tell him about what impression he needed to make.

She really liked her friend and usually admired how organized and thoughtful she was but sometimes she just had to shake her head in exasperation. How on earth had she thought that waiting this long to bring it up was a good idea? Given Harry's reaction though, she seemed to have learned her lesson so she'd remain silent on the issue for now. She would bring it up someday though.

* * *

He'd been upset about Daphne's timing with her warning about her father but he decided not to dwell on it. His 'don't be a moody git' promise to himself would include this too. He'd expressed his displeasure and she'd acknowledged it so it was time to let it go. She'd had a reason also, even though he didn't feel it applied so much anymore. A few months ago he might have become a basket case but not now. She'd taught him better than that, which was one more thing he owed her.

They'd filled most of the remaining time with Daphne describing the manor and surrounding land where she lived and Tracey chipping in and also describing her home briefly. She mentioned that Daphne usually came over to visit for a while and they discussed their options and weren't sure that they could confide Harry's whereabouts to Tracey's parents. That made him feel a little awkward but he didn't want to be left behind without Daphne so he'd have to hope that the situation would work itself out.

As they neared London, they discussed what would happen once they disembarked at the station, they'd have to wait for the crowd to thin out as otherwise Harry would be easily discovered, his invisibility cloak notwithstanding. After the train had stopped and while they waited, Daphne repeated the procedure.

"My mother will be waiting beside my father but you won't see him. He'll be a few feet to our right and he'll have a privacy ward up. When you get close just tell him you're there. He'll check you for tracking spells and then you'll follow us and Apparate with him. When we're home we can do the official greetings then."

He was already invisible as they watched the crowd go by so he said, "Got it." Sooner than he'd like, it was time to go.

"Come on, Harry. Just follow me."

Daphne seemed to spot her mother fairly soon and Tracey's family must have been nearby as she stayed near them too. In an attempt to distract himself and to keep alert he was looking around and spotted Mrs. Weasley looking around from near the portal to the Muggle side. He didn't see any of her children around so he wondered who she was looking for. He hoped it wasn't him, Ron should have told her not to expect him.

He saw Tracey split off and greet a woman enthusiastically but Daphne was much more stoic in her greeting to her mother. Harry aimed to his right and suddenly stopped when he saw a flare of sorts as if his cloak had touched something. He stopped in confusion but nobody reacted so he slowly proceeded further and saw the flare become a thick line that he passed through. Once he had passed all the way through he figured he was close enough.

Harry swallowed and then whispered, "I'm here, Lord Greengrass."

"Greetings, Heir Potter. That's quite an invisibility cloak you have there. I had no idea you were here."

That was odd, apparently only he could see the flare. Could it have been a visible reaction to the privacy ward that Lord Greengrass had put up?

"I don't know if my daughter mentioned this but I'm now going to check you for tracking spells before taking you to our home, the Greengrasses have always been a very private family." There was a pause and then Harry heard him again. "It seems your cloak may be interfering with my detection spells. Please face me and open your cloak slightly. I need to see you better but not let anyone else see you."

Harry saw a slight wavering as if someone where moving a wand that he couldn't quite see then the voice came again. "There are three charms on you but only two are for tracking your location. There is something in your right side pocket with a tracking charm."

Harry looked down and realized what it must be. "That would be my trunk."

He saw a quick flash of a spell and then was startled when Lady Greengrass Disapparated with Daphne. "We'd best hurry. The other tracking spell is on you directly." There was another quick flash and then the wavering withdrew. "Hold out your hand and when you feel my arm, take a firm grip. I will side-along Apparate you to the Apparition area near Greengrass Manor."

Harry did as he was told and felt the like he'd been drawn through a tiny hole until the world solidified around him. This wasn't at all like the house-elf Apparition, he'd felt like everything was being squeezed out of him so he couldn't help but gasp in some air even though he then discovered he didn't need any. He was embarrassed to discover he was still holding Lord Greengrass' arm and quickly let go. Right after that, Lord Greengrass appeared and Harry quickly removed his cloak and held it in his left hand. Harry had only a moment to take in the wide open green expanse they were in. There was a gate ahead where Lady Greengrass and Daphne were talking to a younger girl who must be Astoria.

Lord Greengrass pinned him with an appraising look and then said, "Well met, Heir Potter." He then bowed his head slightly and Harry returned the greeting with a bow.

"Well met, Lord Greengrass." He had almost extended his hand to shake hands but at the last second remembered that Lord Greengrass as the senior of the two should have the option of shaking hands or not. He waited a beat and Harry had to use Occlumency to control his nerves as Lord Greengrass stared at him. Lord Greengrass' face then softened slightly and he extended his hand and Harry gave it a firm shake, hoping he was making a good impression.

Lord Greengrass' face was still rather stoic. "Was that you first time with side-along Apparition?"

"With a human yes, it's different with a house-elf."

"Indeed it is. I was very surprised when you offered a bride price for my daughter so soon, Heir Potter."

Harry heard a gasp to the side and saw Daphne staring between her father and him. He could tell from her face that she was using Occlumency. Although her stare was hard toward her father, she gave no other visible reaction. Harry controlled his expression as best he could by trying to go deeper into his Occlumency trance. He had thought Daphne had settled this but then he realized that the test wasn't over.

"As I had hoped Daphne had explained by now, that was not a bride price, Lord Greengrass. She earned that money with her intellect and what she had taught me. I doubt I would have survived the encounter with the basilisk and Voldemort without the help she had given me."

He knew she didn't want her parents to know that she had gone to the chamber with him and tried to keep his justification vague. Although Lord Greengrass' stare was not as stony as it had been, it was still intimidating.

Lord Greengrass raised one eyebrow before asking, "So she did not go along with you during your encounter?"

Now Harry was in trouble. He knew that Lord Greengrass was proficient with Legilimency and although Daphne had helped him with his shields, he doubted he could fool Lord Greengrass. He also knew that one of the main uses of Legilimency was truth reading. He had to think fast.

"She tried to stop me from going, she certainly had no intention of going with me."

That was true for that moment in time when they started talking in the potions classroom. He did not waver with his return look, which he kept as stoic as possible. He stifled his reaction again when Lord Greengrass smiled and said. "I think I'm going to like you, Heir Potter. Please call me Cyrus and welcome to our home."

"Thank you, Cyrus. Please call me Harry."

"I will key you into my wards now, Harry. I have to touch you as you touch the gate, so shall we?"

As they approached, he saw that Lady Greengrass and Daphne had passed through the gate and Astoria was staring at him appraisingly. He didn't need another stare to contend with so he focussed on Cyrus as he grasped his arm and placed his hand on the gate.

"Harry Potter is a friend of House Greengrass and may pass through our wards. So mote it be."

He suppressed an attempted flinch as the area around his hand flashed and he felt something warm travel up his arm and settle into him. So this is what it felt like to be accepted into a wizarding home.

* * *

Ron had kept quiet for the rest of the trip despite Hermione's attempts to engage him in conversation. He'd been with Daphne enough to know she meant Harry no harm. The way he described her, it certainly didn't sound like her mother wanted any harm to him either. He didn't know about the father though. The reputation of the family wasn't good as far as Ron had heard. He'd feel a lot better when he got a letter from his friend.

He finally relented and participated in one last exploding snap game. He hadn't paid much attention so he had lost spectacularly. He didn't really care so he forced himself to laugh so nobody would think he was sad about the loss.

It wasn't until they were nearing the station that it hit him that he'd be on the spot very soon. He'd have to hope that his mother was easily deflected but he feared she'd insist on seeing Harry for herself. She tended to treat him like another son and that meant a big hug and fussing. There'd be none of that today no matter what his mother thought.

When he saw her, Percy was already with her. Since she was near the portal, Hermione was walking beside him, which he found somewhat reassuring. Who knows, maybe she'd fuss over her and forget Harry? But no, he wouldn't be that lucky.

When they got near, his mother gave them a smile and greeted Hermione enthusiastically. Then came the question he'd been dreading. "Where is Harry?"

Hermione looked at him so he said, "He's going with a different friend this time. He'll be fine." Please be satisfied with that, please….

"We can wait for him then."

Bloody hell, just his luck.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Weasley, I'd better head through to see my parents."

What a big help she was, deserting him in his hour of need. She didn't meet his glare and disappeared from view.

"Ronald, don't look at your friends that way, she'd think you were angry with her."

He was angry but it was best for him to drop it quickly. "Sorry, Mum. He said not to wait for him."

That brought a concerned look to her face and then suddenly the twins were there practically dragging a reluctant Ginny. "Hey Mum!" "We come bearing the youngest!"

He nearly laughed to see Ginny giving the twins a disgruntled look. He wondered what that was about but it might make a nice distraction.

"I could walk here on my own without your help!"

She was so angry he wondered if she'd kick one of them.

Ron rolled his eyes when Percy butted in. "That isn't very ladylike, Ginevra."

Oh, that was the wrong thing to say! He wouldn't be surprised to see sparks fly off her as she retorted, "Nobody asked for your opinion, Percy!"

"I will not have you making a scene on the platform! Quiet, all of you!"

Fantastic, his mother was in a real mood now. However, she still seemed to be looking for Harry. Percy spoke up again. "Perhaps I should take them through the barrier, Mother."

"Yes, do that, Percy."

Good, she was distracted now. He might get away with this after all. When they emerged on the other side, he saw Hermione's parents right away but she wasn't there. Then he followed her father's eyes and saw her approaching Harry's uncle. Bloody hell, what was she doing? Oh, right. Somebody had to tell him not to wait for Harry. Since she'd abandoned him with his Mum, she could handle the uncle. However, just in case he decided to keep an eye on her.

He didn't catch their conversation but the uncle left abruptly and Hermione seemed fine when she returned. He exchanged goodbyes with her and they were nearly out of sight when his mother came through the portal. He saw her looking the way that Harry's uncle had been but he was long gone.

"I missed him?"

He decided to jump in before anyone else, "Yes, sorry, Mum."

She sighed and led the way out of the station. The only hitch that he was aware of was that the twins were giving him appraising looks. As long as they kept their mouths shut, he didn't care.

* * *

Hermione knew they faced two difficulties in helping Harry make a clean getaway. One was looming as she walked beside Ron, his mother meant well but she wouldn't handle the truth well at all. She hoped that Ron had a way to handle her but when she persisted in looking for Harry, she realized that Ron had no plan. How could someone so good at chess be so poor at using strategy in other situations? Apparently his talent in chess had nothing to do with social situations. Ron should know how to handle his own mother by now so she decided to tackle the other issue, Harry's relatives.

She had formed her own opinion of how well they had treated Harry, which is not well at all. She planned to be blunt but that meant she had to make sure her parents stayed out of it. She spotted them right away as she emerged from the portal and glimpsed Harry's uncle way off to the side. The positioning was good in her view.

She gave her pleased parents an enthusiastic greeting but before her mother could encourage them to leave, she started her plan. "Excuse me for a minute. I need to deliver a message for Harry, I'll be right back."

She headed immediately for Mr. Dursley and relaxed when she heard no footsteps behind her. She saw him frown as she approached. She could tell he was about to tell her to leave so she spoke first.

"Harry won't be staying with you this summer so there's no reason for you to hang around."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "That Dumble-fellow told us we had to take him back, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

Hermione frowned back, hoping she'd convince him to leave. "He has made other arrangements."

"See here, I won't have…."

She deepened her frown and drew out her wand far enough for him to see it, which made him pause in uncertainty.

Apparently, the big oaf needed more encouragement. "I thought you wanted to be rid of him."

"I do, good riddance to bad rubbish, I say!" He glared at her for a moment before adding, "That includes you too, freak." He turned on his heel and strode away and for just a second she was tempted to hex him. Instead she cleared her face, replaced her wand and headed back towards her parents.

* * *

Daniel Granger trailed behind his wife and daughter who were chatting excitedly but he was thinking about what he had seen earlier, not their chatter. He had begun to suspect that they were receiving a heavily edited version of her experience at Hogwarts. What he had just seen made him think that his daughter was considerably harder than she was when she first went to that school.

He'd been blinded by the fact that she finally had some friends, which had been distinctly lacking at her previous school. He'd even been heartened by the fact that another boy and two girls were part of her clique now. Although she'd been very enthusiastic about them, he had to wonder now about what sort of people she was associating with.

As he looked at her now, she seemed the same as ever, they even appeared to be planning a shopping trip. However, what he had recently seen gave him cause for concern. First, why was she delivering a message? He hadn't gotten much of a chance to form his own opinion of the Potter boy but they'd been friends for their first year as well so any recent change would be unlikely to be coming from him.

Second, even though he had been unable to clearly hear anything from his daughter's discussion with the strange man, their mannerisms spoke of hostility and towards the end, his daughter may have intimidated him somehow. The only way he could think of that his daughter could intimidate anyone is with the threat of magic.

He was somewhat mollified by the fact that she didn't seem to enjoy the encounter so she wasn't becoming a bully. In fact, now that he thought about it, she had previously hinted that Harry's relatives were not nice people. Was she trying to protect her friend? He could get on board and support that motive. They would still be having a talk, however.

* * *

Daphne was on autopilot giving Harry a tour of her home. She was working hard at suppressing her excitement until the moment they would have some privacy. That moment came when they arrived at the room he would have for the summer. It was a guest bedroom with a blue theme and although it was in a separate wing from her room, it was still the same house. She wouldn't have to miss her best friend (sorry, Tracey) this summer.

She closed the door and almost gave him a crushing hug but settled for grabbing his arms and gazing slightly down at him with a big grin. "You were magnificent, Harry! You impressed father even more than I had expected!"

"Really?" He had relaxed once they were alone and now she could tell he was a little weary. He was so cute that she just had to give him a hug although it was shorter and weaker than what she had wanted to do.

"Absolutely, Harry. If I'd had any idea what he'd use to test you, I would have warned you. I was shocked that he used the bride price excuse. I guess I should have expected a little probing about the chamber thing but you handled that brilliantly! Harry, I really am very, very impressed."

His happy, somewhat dishevelled look made her heart melt. If he were her boyfriend, he'd be getting a snog right now. Oh, she'd better redirect her thoughts, she was pretty sure she was starting to blush. Looking for a new subject, she noticed the wardrobe in the room and decided she should get him started unpacking.

"Enlarge your trunk, Harry. This is your room for the summer and you need to unpack. Do you want my help?"

He began to blush and she realized that it could get awkward if she helped with his clothing. "If you need help you can call on Mipsy, she loves to work, like all elves. Oh! That's a thought, we might need to bring it up with father, I'm not sure if your house elf Dobby would be allowed to come here."

Harry looked gobsmacked and said, "I never thought of that! Could you ask him?"

"Sure, but father likes you, you could ask him tonight at supper."

He looked shy so she took mercy on him. "Ok, I'll do it. Remind me if I forget."

When he opened the trunk after enlarging it, she noticed that not only was there no spare room, it couldn't have been easy for him to close the lid. "Don't you have an expansion spell on your trunk?"

"No, it's just a regular trunk."

"We'll add that to what you get for next year then. You won't be able to fit a single extra thing in there!"

"I guess so."

He still seemed worn out to her so she reluctantly decided to leave him for a while. "Ok, I better give you some privacy then. Dinner won't be formal but you should wear robes, something nice and remember to call Mipsy if you need any help."

"Right, thanks."

"I'll see you later, Harry."

His big smile had her feeling like she could float out of the room. She closed the door behind her and started going towards her room but she nearly faltered when she saw her mother waiting for her. That was better than her father waiting for her but it depended on what she wanted.

She responded with her most deadpan tone, "Mother."

Her mother raised an eyebrow and gestured towards Daphne's room. A private conversation then, this might not be good. She noticed that her mother cast a privacy charm at the door after she closed it. It was Occlumency time again.

"Can we have a candid conversation about Harry now?"

She looked at her mother and saw a serious expression. She wasn't fooling her anyway so she guessed it was time to be completely honest with her. Besides, her mother might even have useful advice.

She called upon all of her courage and did her best to keep her voice steady. "I fancy Harry."

"Was that so hard?"

After a self-deprecating shrug, she answered. "It was hard to admit it to myself. I was in denial for a long time. I hadn't allowed myself to think about any boy."

"And how does he feel about you?"

Her head fell, they were now at the heart of the problem. She mumbled, "He's not ready to date yet."

"You asked him?"

"Yes. He told me himself. I'm waiting for him."

Her mother was quiet so long that she looked up and saw a sympathetic expression on her face. "You're doing the right thing, Daphne. As I've told you, at this age boys are less mature and you are also about six months older than him."

"If I knew I only had to wait six months it would be easier."

"Some things are worth waiting for."

"I know. I think Harry is worth waiting for."

She didn't like her mother's knowing grin so she looked away. Her head snapped back to look at her at what she said next.

"You are not allowed to be alone with him behind a closed door."

Her voice expressed her outrage. "Mother!"

Roxanne was undeterred. "Do you want to have this conversation with your father?"

That shut her up immediately. She looked down and shook her head 'no'.

"If you need privacy to talk, you can go for a walk."

"Agreed."

"I wish I could make this easier for you."

She looked up at her mother and then melted into her offered hug. "Thanks, Mum."


	16. Finding Home

A/N: This chapter has my favorite scene (the third one) so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm thrilled by all of the favorites, follows and reviews. Special thanks to Shygui for his help in making this story better.

But remember, just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it isn't real. - Katherine Howe

Astoria Greengrass had initially considered Harry Potter a threat. She had put away her Harry Potter books and planned how she could help Daphne and protect her family. All of the plotting seemed to have been wasted though as she found out that her sister and Harry Potter were friends and were helping one another. Somehow, they had even worked together on a successful plan of revenge. She'd gotten no details but the sudden fall of Lord Malfoy had not escaped her notice. She was impressed that her sister and Harry seemed to somehow been involved in that effort.

That also told her something else though as Lord Malfoy being convicted after all of his bribery had to involve her father. Was her father allying their family to the Potters? That seemed odd since the Potters consisted of just one boy at this point in time. That might imply a closer affiliation between her sister and Harry Potter but it might be something else too.

Curiosity overcame her animosity when she had learned that he was going to stay with them for the summer. She'd finally get to meet this mysterious boy and learn about the real Harry as she was smart enough to know that her books were fiction. She'd figured that out a couple of years ago but never thought too much about it supposing that she might never even meet him. Now, she'd have a whole summer to learn about him and given his friendship with her sister, she might see him at Hogwarts too.

She had tried to cajole and convince her parents to take her to the train station without success. So she had done the next best thing and waited by the gate for their arrival despite the protests of their over-protective house elf Mipsy. She had watched as her father tested him and was surprised he had done so well. It was evident to her that her sister had taught him some tricks as he used Occlumency just like she did. He had earned friend status and full access to their home. She had thought he would receive conditional or temporary access only but that was not what her father had granted. There was obviously more to this boy than met the eye.

He was cute and unlike her sister, she was planning to find the right boy for her. She was not the heiress and she had a better chance at making her own choice. However, she had noticed something else from that initial meeting at the gate. Daphne was very protective of Harry, she suspected that there was more than friendship there. She became even more curious about a boy who could draw the interest of her reserved, controlled sister who kept denying herself any sort of romantic thoughts.

She was amused when Daphne took him on a tour of the house as soon as she could. She also pointedly made sure there were no followers, especially her, much to her annoyance. She may be younger, but she had learned patience. She had the whole summer to learn about Harry Potter and she'd start with a formal greeting. Even her sister could not prevent that and her chance came as they were headed down to dinner.

His robes were appropriate but could have used an anti-wrinkle charm, typical of a boy. She placed herself in his path and waited with her own stoic mask. She saw him look her over but he didn't get nervous as she'd expected, he must already be using a trance. She held out her hand and said, "It is good to finally meet you, Heir Potter." She gave him a small curtsy.

He took her hand as custom demanded, performed the slight bow to perfection as far as she could tell and gave the typical reply. "It is good to meet you as well, Miss Greengrass."

"I offer my hand in friendship, Heir Potter. Please call me Astoria."

"I accept with pleasure, Astoria. Please call me Harry."

Her sister had done well in instructing him as she knew he'd been Muggle raised. She had not expected him to be so well versed. It was no wonder that he had passed her father's test. Now let's see how he responds to some playful flirting. She gave his hand an extra squeeze before releasing it and gave him a coquettish look. She saw a momentary look of confusion and she started to anticipate some fun but then his face transformed into a knowing smile and she tried to hide her disappointment.

"Your reputation precedes you, Astoria. Perhaps you should save some of that for September, there will be many boys to flirt with then."

Her dratted sister had warned him but she'd still learn more about this boy. It just might not be as easy as she'd hoped. She maneuvered them so that he escorted her to the table, and she saw her sister's stare. She may not be showing a reaction but she knew there was one. She was up one to nil and looked forward to the game.

* * *

Daphne buried her ire about her sister's ploy with Harry. She may have gotten him to escort her to the table but his place at the table was next to hers. She made sure there was a glint of satisfaction in her eyes when he sat beside her but her sister responded with a challenging smirk. So, she wanted to play games did she? She'd show her what two extra years of experience can accomplish.

* * *

Roxanne pre-empted whatever her two daughters might have tried next at the end of dinner. She asked Harry to accompany her as she led him to his room. She noticed he was slightly nervous on their way so she knew how to start when they got to his room. She closed the door and put a privacy spell on it as well. Harry sat on his bed while she took the chair.

"There is nothing to be nervous about, Harry. I just want to make sure you are settled in and to tell you a few things."

That was the moment she saw a beautiful snowy owl peering at her through the window. She was startled as they should not be receiving mail directly but then she noticed that the owl did not seem to have any post. "Harry, is that your owl?"

Harry turned to follow her eyes and cried joyfully, "Hedwig! You made it!"

She took that as a 'yes' and smiled as he opened the window and greeted the owl affectionately. He then showed Hedwig the owl cage and he gave her a treat after she settled down in it with the door left open. Harry returned to sit on his bed and gave her his full attention.

"I guess I will start with owl post, you see we don't receive owl post directly. Your owl will get to rest this summer. If you have something to mail, give it to me or I can show you where the banishing box is. Do you have any questions?"

From his expression, it was easy for her to tell that Harry did indeed have a question. "What is a banishing box?"

"It's a box that sends objects from one place to another. In this case, between our home and Gringotts. They check our post for us for dangerous objects, tracking charms, howlers and the like. It's secure and a lot more peaceful that way. Any other questions?"

Harry shook his head so she returned to her original subjects. "First, I need to talk about sibling rivalry. I understand that you were raised with a cousin so you may already understand what I am talking about. Siblings can be competitive and it appears that Astoria wants to start a competition with her sister regarding you."

She saw his nervous swallow so she tried to set him at ease. "Don't worry, Harry. I will make certain that it does not get out of hand. In fact, I hope to end it altogether although I'm sure that something else will come up sometime this summer. I will do my best to make sure that you aren't part of it though."

She saw his relief and he nodded his understanding when she paused. "Good. Now, how is the room? Do you like it?"

"It's brilliant, thanks. It is a little strange to have this all to myself."

She knew he was accustomed to a dorm at Hogwarts and it didn't surprise her a bit that his awful relatives would not have supplied him with much. She would take care of them soon, she just needed a bit more information to know exactly how to proceed. There was no reason to drag Harry into that, however.

"Do you feel welcome here?"

His blush told her a lot and she had to resist the urge to go over and give him a hug. "I do. I am very grateful that you have invited me here. I don't know how to repay you."

"Harry, there is no repayment within family. You are not some stranger or just a guest for a while. We are inviting you into not only our home but also into our family. As far as we are concerned, you belong here."

He looked down for a moment and she wondered how he was taking it. When he looked up again, she saw tears brimming in his eyes and a shaky smile. She couldn't wait for a moment longer and stood to go over to him with her arms open. To her surprise, he rushed over and met her in the middle with a big hug. Daphne had told her how he rarely offered physical contact so she knew this was a big moment for him. She tried to keep her voice steady as she said, "Welcome home, Harry."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was in his office taking care of some paperwork. He had to travel in a few days on ICW business so he wanted everything in order at Hogwarts before he left. He was also a bit concerned as his trace on Harry's location had somehow malfunctioned. However, his trinket that monitored Harry's health told him that all was well so he had deferred any action on his trace. He'd see Harry sometime during the summer and could put it back on at that time.

He had just finished his correspondence and was pondering having a nightcap when another of his devices suddenly spun out of control and fell into pieces. He quickly went over to investigate and was appalled that it was the one that monitored the blood wards at the Dursley home. The wards had fallen!

"Fawkes! Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging!" They both disappeared in a ball of flames and reappeared in a strangely quiet suburban neighbourhood. For a few moments, Albus stood there with his wand out and no target in sight and wondered what had happened. There was absolutely nothing going on here!

"Fawkes, you may return to Hogwarts, I will return on my own." His familiar flamed away and Albus tried to transfigure his robes into a semblance of a Muggle suit but he was a little distracted so he hoped nobody would look too closely. He approached the door of number four and knocked.

He heard the grumbling of a man before the door suddenly opened and he saw Harry's uncle. For a moment, the man peered at him in confusion but then his face morphed into a look of revulsion and he shouted, "You!" He tried to slam the door in his face but Albus was too fast for him and blocked the door open with his foot.

Mr. Dursley was struggling with the door so much that Albus was forced to use a spell on it to protect his foot. "We've had enough of your lot! Go away!"

Before Albus could respond, he heard a woman's voice say, "Vernon, the neighbours…." That made Vernon look about sheepishly, hoping he hadn't attracted any attention. Satisfied for the moment, he spoke more softly but with the same hostility.

"The boy isn't here, the girl said he'd made other arrangements, good riddance I say! Now, if you would leave and tell the rest of your lot to leave us alone, we'll have some peace!'

"What girl?"

"One of your lot. She was dressed normally but she had one of those wands and threatened me with it, she did! Lots of frizzy brown hair, she looked a fright."

"Did you by any chance see some redheads?"

"Yes, saw that lot too. One of them was gawking at me. Keep them and yourself away from here. You have no business here. Go!"

He didn't think he'd get anything more of use from the man so he removed his foot and rolled his eyes when the man slammed the door on him. He might have persisted a little but the man had turned an unhealthy shade of purple and he didn't want to be the cause of a heart attack.

So, his absence had been planned in advance and supported by his friends. He'd recognized Miss Granger from the rather unkind description but since he'd had no contact with her parents, he felt it best to deal with the Weasleys. Young Ronald would be a good source of information and he was sure his mother would cooperate. However, given the hour that would have to wait until tomorrow.

No matter how much you like your visitor, being bothered late at night was bound to ruin the mood. Besides, there was something he wanted to try. He'd put a tracking charm on some parchment and owl the boy. He'd let an owl find Harry for him. He already had suspects in mind but unfortunately, he didn't know where the Greengrasses lived.

* * *

Astoria walked into the dining room for breakfast and saw another opportunity. The table was ready but nobody else was there yet. She quickly moved Harry's place setting to be beside hers and nodded appreciatively at her own work. She was startled to hear a high, reproachful voice say "Miss Tori being bad!"

She turned to see Mipsy frowning up at her but she found the accusation amusing and replied, "I'm just trying to give Harry some variety, that's all!"

Mipsy did not look at all convinced but she declined to reply so Astoria decided to savour victory until she saw that her work had been undone and Harry's place setting was back to where it had started. The sneaky little house elf had put it back while she wasn't looking! Even their house elf was cunning, so she didn't get angry.

"Astoria, the place settings are not your decision."

She had to repress a flinch, when did her mother get there? "Mother, I was just..."

Her mother interrupted, "Trying to use Harry as a way to compete with your sister. Yes, I know."

Busted. She knew when to quit so Harry was now off limits in any future games. "Very well, Mother. I'll behave."

"See that you do."

She saw the disapproving frown she was getting and she knew that look. She resolved to follow her concession to the letter, tweaking Daphne wasn't worth that much trouble.

* * *

Harry had not had a good night's sleep. He had been thinking too much to go to sleep quickly and then had some oddly disturbing dreams that were about his mother. Since he knew her only from pictures, he had no idea why he was dreaming of her. The last obstacle to sleep was a prickling feeling from his scar. It wasn't really painful so it didn't awaken him by itself but combined with his dreams, it was not a solid night's sleep.

He had finished getting ready and peered at his scar in the mirror. He wasn't sure but it might be slightly more red than usual. It did not hurt to touch but the prickling was not going away. He couldn't see anything wrong with it so he just tried to cover it with his fringe as best he could and left his room to get breakfast.

* * *

After nipping any further competition over Harry in the bud, breakfast had turned into an enjoyable experience for Roxanne. Harry had been oblivious to Astoria's unusual reticence but Daphne had noticed and sent a thankful look her way. She hoped for a relatively peaceful summer but she knew of at least two things that would occur that could cause some drama.

When the meal was done, she turned to Harry and said, "Harry could you remain here for a moment, there's something I need to talk to you about." Harry looked attentive but both her daughters paused in curiosity.

She turned to Astoria first. "Is your history assignment done?"

Her daughter frowned. "But that isn't due until..." Astoria paused in thought, uncertain.

"Tomorrow. Get it finished, Astoria."

There was a fleeting look of stubbornness but she quickly conceded. "Yes, Mother." Roxanne made sure she left then turned to her other daughter.

"Daphne, you can remain if you wish unless Harry objects."

She looked at the boy in question for only a moment before he quickly said, "I have no objection." He was still looking at her so he probably missed Daphne's smile and blush. Her daughter certainly had it bad for this young man.

"This is something I meant to bring up in our discussion last night but we got a little distracted." Her statement brought out a blush by Harry but she continued apace. "Cyrus will be speaking to you tonight and I wanted to put your mind at ease about that. First, he will offer to tutor you on being the head of a Most Ancient and Noble House and I encourage you to take him up on that. This is training that is normally only given within a family but for obvious reasons, that is not possible for you. Not everyone would agree to give this sort of instruction outside the family, so consider it a compliment that it is being offered."

"Secondly, I don't want you to be unduly intimidated by his manner. How one is raised affects how one interacts with other people and can only be overcome by conscious effort. Cyrus was raised as a future Lord and taught in the way his father thought best. That means that my husband's normal demeanour would be called guarded or aloof. You may have seen such a demeanour from Daphne before you got to know her as well."

She hid her smile when Harry nodded then turned to smile at a slightly embarrassed Daphne.

"Cyrus normally hides his feelings and the few times that they are negative, it keeps things calm. Unfortunately, this also means that you don't get to see the majority, which are positive feelings. I want you to know and be aware that he loves his family yet he will treat us the same way he will treat you. If you ever are allowed to see his feelings, again, feel complimented as it means that he trusts you. Not many get to see him unguarded."

She paused and was pleased that Daphne also looked a little pensive.

"Do you have any questions about what I just told you?"

"No, Lady - err - sorry, Roxanne."

She smiled in response to his slip to ensure that he knew she wasn't offended.

"Good. Now, although you will have a lot of free time, we do expect our daughters to do some studying and practice during the summer to improve their readiness for the next year of school. Would you like to participate in that Harry?"

"Yes, of course. One of the things that I've learned from Daphne was to take my schooling more seriously. I'd welcome any help that I can get to become better."

She hid her reaction to Daphne's response, which seemed to be pride in him. "Very good, Harry. That was the answer I had hoped for. You and Daphne will start tomorrow and it is only Monday through Friday and for variable amounts of time in the mornings. The rest of the day and weekends are always free."

* * *

Albus waited until a decent but still early hour to contact the Weasleys. The owl was still headed south and could have been headed for Little Whinging although he knew that shouldn't occur. He established a floo connection to the Burrow and called for Molly assuming that Arthur would already be at the Ministry. He saw her approach with a look of great surprise.

"Headmaster! What a surprise! Is something wrong?"

"It seems that Harry Potter never made it to his relative's home. I was hoping to speak with young Ronald."

"I thought he left with his uncle! Oh, dear. Ronald isn't down yet but I'll get him. Please come through."

As he stepped into their parlour he heard her running up the stairs shouting for Ronald to come down. It was interesting that she had thought he had left with his uncle when his uncle had claimed to be informed he wouldn't be coming at all. He reassured a flustered Molly when she returned that he didn't mind waiting and accepted a cup of tea to have something for them both to do while they waited.

Eventually, a rumpled and sleepy Ronald Weasley appeared to the displeasure of his mother. She started apologizing once again for not having him already up but he waved her off. He believed his best route to the information he needed was the soft approach, he wanted to set the stage for that.

"Even I was young once, Molly. I quite understand how Ronald would want to sleep in during his summer break. I just wish it wasn't necessary for me to disturb him so early."

She seemed to be satisfied with that so he turned to Ronald who had sat down rather far from him and was not looking at him.

"Good Morning, Mr. Weasley. I'm sorry to have gotten you up but I'm concerned about your friend Harry Potter. He never arrived at his uncle's home."

Ron didn't react with body language to his presence or statement at all and his tone was controlled and not friendly. "He never intended to return there. He's safe somewhere else."

In that moment as Molly began to shout, Albus realized that he had lost control of the conversation. Molly roared, "WHAT!? Ronald Bilius Weasley! You said that he had gone with his uncle!"

"No, I said that you had missed him. His uncle left alone."

Albus was rather surprised as Ron's tone was controlled yet obviously defiant, his task was beginning to look much more difficult than he ever imagined.

"You deliberately misled me! How could you!? Now where is he?!"

"I can't say."

Molly's tone became low and dangerous. "What do you mean?"

Ron's tone was unchanged. "It's not for me to tell."

Molly lost her composure again. "It most certainly is! You tell us where he is right this minute!"

Ron's tone seemed to become even more stubborn. "No."

"NO?!" Molly rose from her seat and towered over her son who was still seated and staring at the floor. "You do not get to decide! Tell us now!"

His voice was pure, flat defiance. "No, I won't."

She was nearly incandescent with fury, even Albus wouldn't be inclined to take her on when she looked like that. However, she had her wand out and Albus felt that things had gotten much too out of control. "Molly, please. Let me try. It won't take long."

Molly huffed towards her recalcitrant son and then turned to him and spoke much more softly. "Of course, Headmaster." She then returned to her seat and Albus saw that Ron looked as stubborn as ever.

The mother/son dynamic wasn't working in his favour so he had to change things up. "This might work better if we were alone."

Molly looked startled but then she grudgingly got up. "As you wish, headmaster." She gave a glare at her son that he didn't even see and left the room.

He used his kindly grandfather voice, he felt that would work best. Perhaps if he started with small, innocent questions, he could get things going in his favour. "Mr. Weasley, do you know where he is?"

The boy still didn't look up and just nodded his head yes.

Now it was time to sow a little uncertainty. "How do you know that he is safe?"

"Because he told me so." He still didn't look up and his voice still indicated stubbornness and a reluctance to speak at all.

His new tactic wasn't working either, perhaps a different tack was called for. "Is there any way that I can persuade you to tell me where he is?"

Again the boy just shook his head. He had not once looked his way so there'd be no chance of using Legilimency subtly and he doubted that was an accident. Miss Greengrass must have warned Harry and he warned his friends, things were just getting more and more difficult. He decided that he'd gotten as much as he would get here.

His entrance into the kitchen was rather embarrassing for both of them as it was obvious that she'd been listening in. He wanted to keep her cooperation and regroup at his office so he wanted to end this quickly. "It appears that I will have to be content with the assurance that Mr. Potter is safe for now. If you hear anything more, I would appreciate it if you would pass that along to me."

"Of course, headmaster. I assure you that Ronald will talk."

He knew her approach wouldn't work but certainly couldn't say that. "I actually admire young Ronald's loyalty to his friends. I have no wish to force him to answer. I will see myself out the same way I arrived. Good day, Molly."

He bowed slightly and made his way to the fireplace and flooed back to his office. As he departed, he saw Ronald still sitting as he'd been all along during his visit. He felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy, he'd probably set in motion a series of events that would bode ill for a pleasant summer for the boy.

He arrived back in his office with no real new information but a grudging respect for the loyalty of Harry's friends. He was certain that he'd get no more from Miss Granger so he wasn't even going to try. He checked his map and saw that the owl was now approaching London and although the angle seemed a bit off, Little Whinging was still a possibility.

Having nothing more pressing at the moment, he watched the progress and zoomed in the map as it approached Diagon Alley. Could it be as simple as Harry taking a room at the Leaky Cauldron? That might be the 'brilliant plan' of a twelve year old but wouldn't explain the missing tracking charms. Sure enough, the owl went to Gringotts, not the Leaky.

He frowned as he stared at the new stationary target. Due to treaty, they could not be housing a wizard and despite everything else you could say about goblins, they scrupulously followed the letter of the law and treaties. His experiment ended when the tracking charm ceased to exist.

In a way, this was a relief as he now knew that Harry had substantial assistance from an old pureblood family. Only they would have the goblins checking their mail and forwarding it to them. That was one of the many services the goblins offered, for a fee, of course. Although he could prove nothing, this lead again pointed towards the Greengrasses. He knew that contacting them would be useless, if they were protecting Harry then they'd admit to nothing. He then pondered contacting Minerva as he knew she'd spent extra time with Harry in recent months. She may have gotten a hint of this that might help him verify he had surmised correctly.

* * *

Between the continuing prickling of his scar and his upcoming meeting with Lord Greengrass, Harry was having trouble focusing on anything else. He had enjoyed the tour of the grounds that Daphne had provided. They were in what appeared to be an area that was good for farming. Pretty much everything around was green including, of course, the grass. That was hard to miss since Daphne seemed to like puns about her last name.

Lunch had passed well but dinner had been a little more formal as Lord Greengrass was also present. It wasn't that Lord Greengrass was stern or unpleasant, he seemed nothing like Harry's uncle Vernon. It was just his impassiveness and the fact that they'd be meeting later that had Harry a little intimidated. He focused on getting himself into an Occlumency trance just to be calm. He didn't miss Daphne's occasional glances either. She seemed to be concerned about his mood and offered him small smiles when their eyes met.

Finally it was time for them to meet and Harry followed Cyrus into his den. Although he saw a lot of books and some potion ingredients what really eased his mind somewhat was the pictures of Cyrus' family scattered about. There even was one that seemed to be him as a youngster with his parents. He looked a lot like his father if he was interpreting the photo correctly. He was nearly thrown off his game immediately by what Cyrus said first.

"I see that my daughter has taught you how to use Occlumency to control emotions. You've only done this for a few months, I take it?"

"Umm yes, sir."

"Remember, Harry, that when it is just family, I am Cyrus. You can save 'Sir' for formal occasions. What I wanted to say is that I am impressed with your progress. It takes practice to make it more automatic and less noticeable. Now our first order of business is owl post as we do not receive mail directly here. We have the goblins receive our mail for us and they check them for anything dangerous and remove it before forwarding it to us via a banishing box. I'm telling you this so you will use the banishing box to send any mail and not your owl. Roxanne told me she somehow found you."

"I'm also telling you this because I added you to our service and you have received your first mail of the summer. This is a note from the headmaster, it had a tracking charm on it and it was removed by the goblins so he does not know where you are."

Harry suppressed a smile as he actually didn't know where he was either, other than Greengrass Manor, of course. He'd never asked Daphne and she hadn't offered. He decided he'd read it later and stuck it in a pocket as he said, "Thank you, Cyrus."

"Do you know what I was doing when we arrived at the gate to Greengrass Manor?"

"You were testing me."

"Correct. Do you know why?"

He almost said 'yes' without thinking but realized it would be mostly a lie. "Not exactly."

"I was going to give you access to the manor no matter what but I could have given you different levels of access. For example temporary or conditional access was possible. Instead, I gave you friend status and full access. That means you could pull someone through the wards voluntarily, which I expect you to only use with permission or if you have no choice. I and my ancestors have taken great pains to make us secure here and don't want that compromised for anything less than a very good reason."

Although Cyrus was mostly stoic, there was a mildness in his voice and mannerisms that put Harry at ease but he still had to fight a blush although he wasn't sure why. "Of course, Cyrus."

"Do you know why you passed my test to earn full access?"

That was a very good question and the only truthful answer is what he said, "No."

"Because your manners were impeccable and you responded well to the unexpected, which was my first question. Then I challenged the story my daughter gave regarding her involvement in the chamber affair. Frankly, I doubt her story was completely truthful but don't worry. I am satisfied with her actions and do not plan any further enquiries into that matter. The key point there was that you were loyal to my daughter. That is what earned you full access."

Wow. That was another lesson on being cunning and he was impressed. He was also very glad that he had passed the test but did his best not to show it.

"Next, did Roxanne mention training on being a Lord of a Most Ancient and Noble House?"

"Yes, she did. I appreciate the fact that it would be considered since I am not family."

"You are quite welcome, Harry. I do this not only because my wife asked me to but also because I feel we, and the entire magical world, owe your family a great debt, particularly your mother. I did not know her well but I have heard a lot from Roxanne plus the conclusions of what happened that night from what we learned from both Tom Riddle and Dumbledore. She was a very great witch and for all that, I am quite willing to offer you this training. Does this mean you accept?"

"Yes, I accept with gratitude."

"We will hold those lessons in the evening but they will probably be somewhat sporadic. I obviously have other duties that sometimes take up all my time. I understand that you will be joining Daphne for her summer courses."

"Yes. She has made me appreciate the benefits of taking full advantage of my education. I plan to do my best in everything I take on."

"I am very glad to hear that. Such an attitude will do you well as you take up your lordship. As you will learn, it is a great responsibility."

Harry suppressed a nervous swallow. He had suspected that but hearing it now made it much more real.

"You know about seeing your parents' will when you are 13?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good. There is also a prophecy concerning you that I learned about through a friend in the Department of Mysteries. I hope to do both on your birthday or perhaps the day after. I expect that the experiences could be traumatic and I want to assure you that I will be there with you should you want me to, to help for both events."

Now he was really nervous and didn't trust his voice. He simply nodded his assent.

"Daphne has asked to see the memory where you encountered Lord Malfoy and took his elf from him. I very much enjoyed that and was impressed with how you handled him, by the way, and it helped me get Lord Malfoy removed from the board of governors. I assume you have no objections to her seeing it?"

"No, Cyrus, I want her to see it."

"Very good, as for the request to allow your house elf access here I need to ask a question first. I know he is enthusiastic but I need to be sure he is loyal to you. An elf might be bound yet serve unwillingly, which is a liability. Is he loyal of his own free will?"

"Very, it's sort of embarrassing how much he likes me." There actually was no 'sort of' about it, he was fighting a blush as he spoke.

"As you may know, wizard magic and house elf magic are different. It is our house elf Mipsy who handles the wards that protect us from other house elves. She must be involved in allowing him access. Mipsy!"

Mipsy appeared, bowed to Cyrus and said, "Master Greengrass called?"

"Yes, Mipsy. Mr. Potter here has his own personal elf. I want him to be allowed access to our home."

Harry saw her eyes get bigger and she looked back at him furtively. Their attention went to Cyrus when he spoke. "Do not be concerned, Mipsy. You are not being replaced, it's just that Mr. Potter will be lord of his own house one day and he needs his own elf."

The house elf sagged with relief. "Mipsy understands. If Master Potter be calling his elf now, his elf can come."

"Dobby!"

Dobby appeared immediately and began speaking rapidly to Harry. "Harry Potter Sir has called Dobby! Dobby is so…." The elf looked around in astonishment and turned to Cyrus and bowed. "Lord Greengrass, Dobby thanks you for allowing Dobby in your home."

Cyrus raised an eyebrow and responded, "You are quite welcome Dobby. You are being granted access so that you may serve your master Harry Potter during the summer. We maintain tight security here so we trust that you will protect us equally as you protect your master while he is here."

"Dobby agrees, Lord Greengrass."

Harry was surprised by what was happening but tried to take it in stride. When Cyrus looked at him, he realized it was time for him to do something. "Thank you, Cyrus. Dobby, I will call you later from my room. We can discuss what you need to do during the summer then, OK?"

"Yes, sir. Dobby will be glad to serve, sir!" He then abruptly popped away. Harry still felt a little stunned at how quickly things had moved along.

"That is all, Mipsy. Thank you for your service."

The elf curtsied and replied, "It is being my pleasure, Master Greengrass." She then popped away too.

Harry's attention snapped to Cyrus as he spoke again. "I was impressed by that very nice invisibility cloak you have. I am curious as to how you came to possess it."

"It was my father's. Dumbledore had borrowed it and returned it to me at Christmas in my first year."

"It was your father's? That is very surprising as such things normally only last a few years. Do you know any more about it?"

"No, that's all I know."

"That's very interesting and I presume it has impressive features since it blocked my detection spells. I suspect it is family magic so I will ask no more about it. I believe that you've had enough surprises for one day, I will let you go then, Harry. Good night."

"Good night and thank you again, Cyrus."

* * *

Once Harry left, Cyrus sat back and pondered what had just happened. Harry was a bit of an enigma to him. At times a prototypical Gryffindor and sometimes a developing Slytherin. The latter would likely be his daughter's influence but it made for an interesting combination. Also, given what he'd heard from both Roxanne and Daphne about how he had been raised, he was very impressed with the young man who had just entered their lives.

He would have expected a beaten-down victim yet that is not what he saw. He was quite certain that one day Harry would be a formidable wizard and lord of a major house. It also appeared more than likely to him that the woman who would be the lady beside him could very well be his own daughter. He had long ago agreed with Roxanne that their daughters would have a voice in who they were matched to and he intended to keep his word. However, if Daphne asked for a match with Harry, he would be glad to arrange it as far as family matters were concerned. The only problem was, with whom could he negotiate? Roxanne would probably jump at the chance to be his advisor but that would put her in a compromising position. They could hopefully arrange something like that to make it work but with someone else to advise him. As a father though, he was in no hurry and quite enjoyed having his daughter living with him.

He had met Harry's grandfather and been impressed by his business acumen. However, he'd heard from his father that the Potters had been known for their battle magic in the more distant past. That cloak of Harry's must be some sort of family magic so perhaps they dabbled in other sorts of magic like enchanting. That would make the family grimoire a powerful asset for Harry. He'd have to make sure that Harry got his hands on that. It wouldn't hurt that it would also make him a more formidable ally.

Even the elf had surprised him a bit and the interest that his own elf, Mipsy, had shown in him was intriguing as well. Harry's elf was slightly manic, probably due to the abuse he had suffered in the Malfoy home and that uniform of his, it had nearly hurt his eyes! On the other hand, he was quick to recognize situations and knew the proper ways to interact with other households. Harry's house elf could be a great asset to him in the future and he seemed to enjoy a more personal relationship with his elf than Cyrus had ever considered. Perhaps he should reconsider his stance on that? That was just one of the many things he needed to ponder now that he had become acquainted with Harry Potter.

* * *

It had become a long day for Harry. When he got to his room, he called Dobby and talked with him briefly and then got ready for bed. His scar was still a nuisance but he was becoming more accustomed to it and slept better that night. He checked it in the mirror in the morning and still thought it might be more red than normal but it still didn't hurt so he decided to continue to ignore it.


	17. A Home is Made of Love and Dreams

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. I don't read much Marauder-era fanfiction but I discovered a quirky short story that I found amusing by NobleAndAncientLineBlack entitled "Bottled Obsession" so if you like that sort of thing, I recommend it. Thanks for reading, following and/or reviewing, it makes the effort of writing and posting a story worth it. Special thanks to Shygui for being a great beta.

Life is a battle of wits, and many people have to fight it unarmed. - Evan Esar

After a quiet breakfast, Roxanne started Astoria on her lesson and then started preparing for when Daphne and Harry would come to start theirs. She carried some books and a potion that she had just finished the previous day and put them on the table and then sat down to wait. They finally came in teasing each other about who would do better. She was slightly concerned about Daphne's competitive streak and this just brought the issue to the fore.

Daphne peeked at the books and smiled. "So we're going to start with Arithmancy?"

Roxanne smiled back and answered, "Soon but first we're going to discuss a potion. It's an obscure potion that I don't expect either of you to be familiar with. It's called the Jame Gumb Restorative Potion. Have either of you heard of it?"

She saw both of them shake their heads. "It is characterized by the purple colour and a sweet taste. It is used specifically to help children recover from malnutrition." She saw Harry become very still and the only reaction from Daphne was when she briefly cut her eyes toward Harry and then looked back at her attentively.

"There is no harm done if the child did not suffer from malnutrition but if they did, it is apt to cause a growth spurt, for rather obvious reasons. I finished brewing this yesterday so it's nice and fresh." She looked at Harry but he was looking down.

"Harry, I'd like you to drink this. I want to be sure you have every chance to be the best you can be."

He slowly looked up and stared at her. She tried to exude confidence and empathy and found herself holding her breath. He then looked over at Daphne who looked seriously back at him. He then sighed and said, "OK." Then he took the cup and drained it as if he wanted to get it over with quickly.

When he put it down, he looked surprised. "That is probably the best tasting potion I've ever had."

She decided to tease him. "I told you it had a sweet taste. Didn't you believe me?"

She was smiling at him and he rolled his eyes back at her and said, "It's just a surprise after some of the awful ones I have had at Hogwarts."

"Like what?"

"Skele-gro."

"Oh, that is nasty and hurts too."

"I know." He rolled his eyes again.

"You'll be glad to know I have no plans to give you that."

She finally got a chuckle out of him. She launched into a summary of what Arithmancy was used for and gave some examples of spell crafting and the like. She then gave them their reading assignment and left them to check on Astoria. When they were done, she led them in a discussion about what they had read and what it would mean in future topics.

She saw the competiveness between them but was relieved that when Harry bested her on an answer she didn't see her normal frustration, she saw quick looks of pride. For Harry's part he would occasionally tease her but there was absolutely no animosity. He'd take it in stride when she bested him but that didn't mean he gave in, he continued to do his best. Fortunately for her, it appeared this would be easier than she had feared.

They were finishing up when Astoria came into the room and announced she was done. That gave her an idea to help Astoria with her arrogance and give Harry a chance to see something new in their house at the same time. "Come on you three, I think it is time for us to go to the practice room." Both of her daughters perked up while Harry looked puzzled.

As she led the way, she spoke to Harry. "I've heard about your fighting lessons and your extra practice with magic. We have a room especially for that."

She walked down the stairs and unlocked the door on the right. "The other door leads to storage. This is a warded room made for magical practice. The entire room is protected from magical damage although I would prefer you don't try to do damage on purpose. Remember that although the room is protected, you are not."

She saw Astoria roll her eyes so she decided to start the lesson with her. Since she was already too competitive with her sister, her opponent would be Harry. "Let's try a demonstration. Astoria, you stand over there, Harry you will be over there."

She stepped back and Daphne followed with a grin. Before Roxanne could speak again, Daphne spoke up. "Have Harry defend. Harry, show them what you can do."

Her daughter's grin was much too mischievous for her liking but she saw Astoria looking overconfident so she decided to go with it. "All right then, Harry you cast a shield and Astoria, you will cast the Jelly-Legs Jinx. On three, one… two... three!"

Astoria started to shout, "Loco..." but stopped in confusion as she stared at Harry's fully formed shield. She broke her stare after a moment and then incredulously spoke to Harry. "Y-you didn't say a word! You didn't even move your lips! How'd you get so fast?"

It was Daphne who answered, somewhat pompously. "Practice."

Roxanne was stunned as well. "Harry? You can do silent casting?"

Harry looked rather embarrassed. "Only the one spell. I've concentrated on it but that's all I've learned to do silently so far."

"Harry, that is amazing! That is NEWT level work. I'm very impressed."

As Harry blushed, she looked at Astoria and saw her looking stunned and downcast. "Astoria, you may be doing well for your age but I've been warning you that the older students will still be ahead of you."

In a rare show of humility, Astoria mumbled, "Yes, Mum."

* * *

Ron Weasley was having a bad day. No, actually he was having a bad summer. Just when he should be able to relax after the rigours of school, he was confined to his room. His mother wasn't listening to him but his father was sympathetic. Actually his sister was being supportive and even the twins gave him quiet support. With those two, it just might be that they appreciated the fact that their mother's ire was focussed on him rather than them.

He'd show Hermione though. Guess who was done with his summer homework already? Him, that's who! He was even checking over his history essay and considering a rewrite. It was more boredom than dedication but Hermione didn't need to know that, now did she?

His thoughts then drifted to his other best friend. He hadn't heard from him yet but there was no reason to worry that he knew of. He'd just feel better (and a little more justified in his refusal to talk) if he heard from him. He looked out his window once again and saw a distinct lack of owls. The only thing he wanted as much as a letter from Harry was a distraction for his mother. Wasn't he due for some good luck for once?

* * *

Harry was getting far more attention from Astoria than he was comfortable with. Sometimes he thought she was curious about him, sometimes he thought she was turning into a fan and sometimes he had no clue about what she might be thinking. He then noticed that Astoria was getting the occasional glare from Daphne and wasn't sure what that meant either. Why were girls so complicated?

They'd been relaxing in the sitting room after lunch when Roxanne appeared with a welcome (to Harry, at least) distraction in the form of mail. She stopped by Astoria first and handed her an envelope while saying, "From Jessica." That got a big smile from Astoria and she was finally busy with something other than looking at Harry. Things were already getting better.

She came over to him next while she was peering at a letter with a slight look of confusion. "Harry, do you know someone named Darcie Smith?"

"No, why?"

"She has written to you." She handed Harry an envelope addressed in a child's hand. It reminded Harry of how he might have printed when he was six or seven. Now it was his turn to peer at it in confusion. Why would a stranger write to him?

"Here's your grades from Hogwarts."

Harry took it with slight trepidation. It was one thing to be satisfied after the final exams but it was another to have the final grades. He suddenly wasn't so eager for the mail after all. He glanced over as Daphne received a letter from Tracey and an even larger envelope than his from Hogwarts. He wondered why briefly when another thought hit him. They got letters from their friends but he hadn't sent any to his friends yet! They might be worried!

He might have dashed off to start writing right then but Daphne interrupted his thoughts by asking, "Harry, aren't you going to look at your grades?"

He sighed and decided that he ought to get that over with. When he saw them, he goggled in surprise. He had all O's except for one: Potions, of course. Evil git. That 'A' just made his blood boil. A few months ago, he wouldn't have cared but now it seemed like an indictment of his determination even though it wasn't really.

"How did you do, Harry?"

He was startled out of his funk by Daphne's question. "All O's except Potions." His look probably said enough about how he felt about Snape right now.

"Hermione is tied for fifth overall."

That perked him up. "She's doing better."

"Yes, she is. Due to a certain professor, she may have reached as high as she can go in the rankings."

Harry had to grit his teeth. That git Snape strikes again.

"Guess who is tied for fifth with Hermione?"

How would he know? "Erm, Parvati?"

"No. You."

Now he was speechless and then began to blush under Daphne's huge smile. "I told you that you had it in you, Harry."

He couldn't deny that. "Yes, you did."

"Congratulations, Harry." He blushed as he looked at a smiling Roxanne but then a nice distracting question came to him.

He turned back to Daphne and asked, "So where do you rank?"

Her smile continued but her cheeks got a little pink. "First."

"I knew it!"

Before he realized what he was doing, he was giving Daphne a hug while she murmured, "Thanks, Harry" into his ear. He wasn't sure why but that made him blush furiously. When he disengaged he saw Roxanne had a brilliant smile while looking at both of them and Astoria was smirking. He wondered what that was about but decided he had more urgent issues to attend to than to worry about the inner workings of the female mind.

"I have some letters to write."

Before he could leave Roxanne asked, "Do you know how to use the banishing box?"

Oops, he'd forgotten about that part so no workout for Hedwig. "No."

"Get me when you're done. I'll show you."

"Thanks."

When he got to his room, he got two sheets of parchment but then paused and pulled another one for Neville. Then he caught sight of the letter from the stranger and decided he'd better find out what that was about first. He opened it and read his very first fan letter. He sat there feeling stunned. Was he supposed to answer? He sighed and reluctantly pulled out a fourth piece of parchment.

He peered at Darcie's letter and wondered how he should answer her. Her letter was quite friendly and not as nosey as he would have expected. She was nice to him so he'd be nice to her. He began to write.

 **Dear Darcie,**

 **Thank you for your kind letter. I am fine, thanks for asking and I hope you and your family are well too.**

OK, that was a nice start. Now what to do next? Oh yes, he should answer her questions so he pondered how to answer the first one.

* * *

Minerva glared at the letter she had just received from Albus. If he were there, they'd be trading hexes right this moment. She considered replying with a howler but decided that he wasn't worth compromising her standards of decorum. She'd have to settle for a blunt response.

That didn't work out too well either as she broke the quill she was using. She sighed as she regarded what she'd done and quickly repaired the quill and vanished the ruined parchment and pulled another. She had to calm herself and start over but finally, she had the response she wanted to send. Her only regret was that it wasn't longer, she still felt a need to vent but just couldn't get herself to do it. She might reconsider if she got a chance to do it in person. The thought of that brought a smile to her face.

* * *

After a brief discussion with Roxanne, Harry had sent off his letters, even the one to Miss (fangirl) Darcie Smith. The banishing box was really an interesting device and easy to use. When he entered the sitting room, he was mildly surprised to see Daphne and Astoria coexisting peacefully together in silence. The fact that they both had noses in their books may have helped that come to pass.

Daphne noticed him first and asked, "Done with your letters?"

Harry smiled and headed over towards her. "All done."

"Including Darcie?"

Her tone surprised him, it sounded like an accusation the way she said it but she had looked back down into her book so he couldn't see her face well. He was distracted by a snort from Astoria but she didn't even look up from her book so he decided to ignore her. "What's wrong?" She didn't answer so he tried again. "She's a fan, she read those books about me and sent me a letter. Since she wrote to me, I reckoned the polite thing to do was write her back."

That got her to look up from her book. "How old is she?"

"Seven."

That got another snort from Astoria and Harry was turning to ask her what her problem was when Daphne spoke again. "Never mind her, Harry. She's just in one of her moods."

"Look who's talking! You were jealous of a seven year old!" Astoria's tone was mocking and he found himself looking from one to the other as they spoke.

Harry nearly took a step back away from Daphne, even though she was directing her ire towards her sister, Daphne was still a little scary. "Don't talk about things you have no clue about!"

That increased Astoria's glare and she practically snarled her response. "Don't think you can fool me, sister dear. You're pretty obvious but it appears that Harry hasn't…"

"Silencio!"

Harry was astonished at how quickly things had gone pear-shaped. The next thing he knew, Roxanne had charged into the room and after a glance at a silently ranting Astoria who was pointing at her sister she gave Daphne a withering gaze. Daphne tried to put away her wand unobtrusively but she was obviously busted.

Roxanne was staring at Astoria who was still trying to rant. "Astoria, calm down and I will remove the spell." Astoria immediately complied although she still looked sullen. After a quick wand movement, she said, "Go to your room, I'll be there in a moment."

That just got Astoria started again. "But she…"

"NOW!" Roxanne was angry and Astoria quickly shut up and walked away although she still looked sulky.

Roxanne turned to Daphne. "Your wand." She held out her hand and Daphne sheepishly complied by handing over her wand. "If I checked this wand what spells will I find?"

Daphne quietly said, "Only Silencio."

"You will wait in your room until I come to speak to you. Understood?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Go."

Daphne gave Harry a sheepish look as she quickly left the room. Harry had no idea what to do so he looked at Roxanne who sighed before speaking to him. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Harry. They both have strong personalities and are very competitive which means that sometimes they clash. They aren't always like this and it is not your fault. I'm afraid you will have to find something to do on your own for the afternoon. I'm not sure when I'll allow either of them to leave their rooms."

"That's OK, Roxanne. I have some reading to catch up on, I'll be fine."

"Good. Now I have to deal with my daughters." She rolled her eyes, huffed and hurried from the room.

He watched her go and he still felt a little shell-shocked but he didn't see how he caused the problem so he tried to relax. He slowly started towards his room and was a little relieved not to see or hear anyone on his way. He knew that no family was perfect, he'd seen fights amongst the Weasley siblings after all. It was weird to him that the normally stoic Daphne had lost her cool so quickly and completely. He did wonder what Astoria thought he was missing though. What could it be? And what was that bit about Daphne being jealous of Darcie? That made no sense to him.

Dinner was very quiet and Harry used Occlumency to stay calm but his appetite wasn't affected. In fact, he seemed to be eating more than normal. The two sisters were very quiet, their mother was still somewhat annoyed and their father seemed to ooze disappointment. The only good thing for Harry was that both parents assured him he had nothing to worry about. He really hoped that whatever happened was done and would never come back. He peered at his scar before he went to bed. It was still bothering him but he decided it still wasn't worth mentioning, especially as he was getting accustomed to it.

* * *

Neville was relieved to receive Harry's letter. It wasn't very long but it did assure him that Harry was fine and quite content with his choice. He did mention the possibility of visiting over the summer but he didn't suggest any specifics. Neville had gotten more letters since school ended than he may have gotten in his whole previous life. He had one each from Hermione and now Harry and two already from Tracey.

He kind of liked Tracey and she was often quite funny. He was still a little nervous about how Hermione had looked at him and Tracey at the party. Could Tracey actually be interested in him? Dating a Slytherin had never occurred to him but then Harry might be doing that soon. He really thought Harry and Daphne would be a couple someday. However, what did he know? He couldn't figure out Tracey's intentions toward him so who was he to speculate about others?

* * *

Harry was making his way to breakfast and hoping everything would be back to normal today. He still felt welcome here but he didn't like the tension from the day before. He heard Astoria and Roxanne talking normally as he approached his destination and felt reassured until he heard what Astoria was saying.

"They were flirting! I was so surprised but it was so cute. The way they looked at each other and then kept looking away."

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. Who was flirting? He hadn't flirted with anyone! He didn't even know how! Was it possible to flirt accidentally? Was she trying to get him into trouble now? Then he heard Roxanne respond.

"It was. We'll have to see how your father feels about it but I think it's a good thing. She enjoys it."

What?! Roxanne agreed?!

"Do you think they'll have a baby?"

BABY?! You have got to be kidding…!

"It's possible. We'll have to talk to Harry about that too, of course."

He felt like he was ready to pass out. What was going on? Had someone impersonated him with Polyjuice? This couldn't be happening! He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Daphne speak from behind him.

"Harry? Is something wrong?"

 _Yes! I've been framed! I'm going to get thrown out with nowhere to go!_ Unfortunately, he found himself quite unable to speak. Was he hyperventilating? He was beginning to feel dizzy. Maybe he'd have to take McGonagall up on her offer.

"You don't look well. Here, let's go in so you can sit down."

He allowed her to lead him in although he wasn't sure he wanted to go in and face his accusers and he still had no idea what to say. He saw Roxanne smile at him but then suddenly drop it and approach.

"Harry? Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

She felt his forehead and it felt soothing. He couldn't understand why she wasn't mad at him though. By then he'd made it to the chair and sat down. Roxanne then kneeled beside him to look him in the eye. "Harry, what's wrong?"

He had to say something so he tried. "Erm, I heard what you were saying and ummm…."

"Why would you be upset about that? It's perfectly natural behaviour for house elves. We don't have a problem with it although we might have to talk about what to do with any children they might have."

House elves? Oh, thank Merlin! "Uhhh, you mean Dobby…?"

"And Mipsy, yes. Did you think we were talking about something else?"

He was both relieved and mortified at the same time. He felt his face heat up and wondered if it would catch fire with how embarrassed he was. It only became worse when he heard Astoria start to snicker. He was looking down but he had noticed that Roxanne had reacted somehow and the snickering stopped abruptly.

Roxanne stood and her voice was rather stern. "That's enough, Astoria. It was apparently some sort of misunderstanding. Let's have a peaceful breakfast."

It was peaceful all right. The only sound was of people eating. Roxanne was the only one looking around consistently. Astoria focussed mainly on her plate although she did send a few amused glances Harry's way. Daphne did something similar but seemed more puzzled and her glances at Harry were more of concern than anything else.

Harry's heart managed to stop pounding and he used Occlumency to regain his control over his rampaging emotions. He still felt like an idiot though. How had he gotten things so wrong? He actually thought that it was cute that Dobby had someone he was interested in. It was weird to think of him as a father though.

Roxanne gave him a calm look and asked, "So, Harry, what do you think about Dobby and Mipsy?"

"I wasn't aware they were spending time together but I imagine they'd be cute. It's kind of hard to picture Dobby as a father though."

Roxanne smiled and it made Harry feel warm. "I can imagine. He does seem a little excitable."

"Did Daphne tell you about what he did for her birthday party?"

Daphne sniggered and Roxanne's smile grew. "Yes, she told me a little about that. It sounded like quite the spectacle."

Despite what he'd heard and now could interpret more correctly, he wanted to be sure there'd be no repercussions. "So, are you Okay about Mipsy?"

"Of course. We care about her happiness. Don't we girls?"

Daphne and Astoria chorused, "Of course, Mother."

Harry got the feeling that Daphne was still annoyed with Astoria but she didn't glare or anything. Things were definitely better today. It would be almost perfect if he hadn't acted like an idiot.

Astoria joined them in a potions lesson where they talked about ingredient interactions, proper preparation techniques, why timing and stirring was so important. In other words, all of the things that they weren't taught by Snape. It was very eye opening and educational for Harry. To top it off, all three of them interacted peaceably and Harry found it very reassuring.

Everything proceeded as he hoped through lunch. It wasn't until they were released for the afternoon and the three youngsters congregated again in the sitting room that Harry began to worry a little. This was where things went so badly yesterday and he wanted no repeat of that. He then noticed that Daphne seemed a little sheepish about something.

"Harry, was that letter yesterday your first fan letter?"

She didn't seem angry but he still felt the need for caution. "Yes. I never got one before."

"There must have been lots of girls who tried to write to you. It seems odd that that one was the first."

Before he could formulate a reply, Astoria spoke up. "Well, we knew that our letters were returned. That must be what happened to everyone."

Harry looked at Daphne nervously, what would her reaction be? He was surprised to see her blushing. Astoria looked unperturbed so he spoke to her.

"You sent me a letter?"

"Yes, I think I was seven at the time too. How old were you when you sent yours, Daphne?"

Daphne looked like she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. "Six. I was six."

They both had sent him letters? He was gobsmacked but then he wondered why he hadn't received them. Daphne still was looking at her lap but she seemed to know what he was wondering about.

"Dumbledore must have put a spell up to prevent you from receiving owl post. He probably didn't want you to be buried in letters. You wouldn't have known what it was all about back then, would you?"

"No. I had no idea I was famous and didn't even know I was a wizard."

Astoria looked gobsmacked. "You didn't know?! Those Muggles didn't tell you anything?!"

"No. To be fair, they may not have even known. About the fame, I mean. They knew I was a wizard. They tried to b… err, stop me from learning about it."

That near slip earned him a sorrowful look from Daphne but Astoria didn't seem to catch it. Astoria continued with, "I can't imagine being raised by Muggles. It must have been awful!"

Harry felt conflicted. His relatives were awful but he'd met some nice Muggles too. Besides, he wouldn't be comfortable with anti-Muggle sentiment as it seemed too much like what Voldemort said.

"My relatives aren't nice people but not all Muggles are like that. There are good and bad people just like in magical society. There's not as much difference as you might think, it's just a different culture and will seem strange."

Astoria seemed fascinated. "So you know about Muggle culture?"

"Yeah. I was raised in it since I was 15 months old. It was all I knew until I went to Hogwarts."

As Astoria peppered him with questions, Daphne mainly kept quiet. She joined in sometimes but let her sister lead the conversation with questions. Roxanne stopped in and seemed pleased with the amicable atmosphere and she listened in for a while.

* * *

Harry entered Cyrus' den to find him standing by a large, ornate bowl and Cyrus' eyes moved from the contents of that bowl to Harry as he greeted him. "Good evening, Harry. This is my Pensieve, do you know what that is?"

So that was what one looked like. "Good Evening. Yes, Daphne told me they are for reviewing memories."

"Exactly. Since I enjoyed seeing your encounter with Lord Malfoy, I thought you might enjoy seeing my encounter with him. I also want to use it as an example of how to influence a group of people, which is an important talent for a lord. I could project the memory above the Pensieve but I prefer for us to be immersed in the memory so I can point out details and you can see them more readily. All you have to do is come over by the bowl and stick in a finger. You will find yourself at the beginning of the memory. I will join you so you will see two of me, you will only be able to interact with the image of my current self that you will see with you. Nothing in the memory can touch you, you cannot come to any harm."

Harry tried to control his excitement, this was going to be awesome! When he got up to the Pensieve and peered in he was disappointed to see a misty, vague scene. Once in a while, he got a hint of a room with people in it but mainly it was a vague mess.

"Just stick a finger into the mist, your body will remain where it is but your mind will be taken into the memory."

Harry suppressed a blush as he realized that he was holding things up with his dithering. He did as he was told and suddenly found himself in a room that looked like a typical room in Hogwarts except it was filled with seated adults frozen in various positions although they were all sitting. Most of them were sitting around a long table but he noticed that they all seemed to avoid the head of the table, which was left empty. There were also chairs along the walls around the table but only one was occupied, but it was a familiar face as it was Neville's grandmother, which nearly made Harry flinch. At least she wasn't wearing that ghastly vulture hat but she did seem to have a look of distaste and anger.

He was just becoming accustomed to the somewhat surreal still life he was in when Cyrus appeared next to him and asked, "Are you ready, Harry?"

He tried his best but some of his startled reaction became evident to his mentor.

Cyrus gave him a friendly smile as he said, "I'm sorry that I startled you. I am sure this must seem odd to you for your first time in a memory."

He was relieved by Cyrus' calm and friendly manner so he decided to share his real impression. "Surreal is the word that came to me."

"Indeed. Being able to review memories can be very important but Pensieves are very expensive as very few people can craft them. Someday, you should check your vaults to see if you were left a Pensieve of your own. For now, you may borrow mine if the need arises. So, do you have questions right now?"

Oh, probably only about a thousand or so but he'd save them for when he knew which questions were the most important to ask. "Not yet."

Cyrus had returned to his normal stoic façade but a small smile appeared on his face again. "Good lad, it's a good thing to think before you ask. Before I even start the memory, there are some things I would like to talk about from what we see now. First, how many people do you recognize here?"

Harry had to move about the room to see everyone's face and wondered where memory Cyrus was until he saw him about to enter the room through the open door. "I recognize only two. You and Neville's grandmother." He gestured to each of them as he identified them.

"How well do you know Dowager Longbottom?"

"I've never actually met her, I only know what Neville had told me, which isn't much."

"She is very strong willed and she can really hold a grudge. She holds to the old ways rather strongly so you'll have to impress with your best manners if you do meet. I was surprised to see her here but it later became evident to me that she came with the same purpose as I did. You see, this is their first meeting since the events of the Chamber. I would guess that her grandson shared enough of what happened to motivate her to defend her grandson and the students from the influence of Lord Malfoy."

"Now let me point out the rest of the people here." Cyrus proceeded to name all of the people and told Harry something about each of them, mainly how they tended to behave or how to read them. When he finished, he looked at Harry again and asked, "What can you tell me about the moods of the people you see here?"

Harry again had to move around the room to see all of their faces and it was sometimes hard to tell their emotions but he did find some small clues in each of them. When he was done the one thing he could say about all of them was that none of them were in a good mood but he knew that wasn't the answer Cyrus would want. Then he realized there were two emotions that covered nearly everyone there.

"I'd say they were all either nervous or worried except for two of them."

"And which ones are the exceptions?"

He pointed at one old man who looked bored and said "This bloke."

"That is Geoffrey Timmons. He was the former chairman of this board and later in this memory, he will announce his retirement from the board. He is feeling rather detached because of that. And the other one?"

"Dowager Longbottom, she looks angry." And scary, he added to himself.

"Correct, you will see her in action later and I think you will enjoy that part. Now, who is missing?"

At first Harry was baffled. Could he mean Dumbledore? He might not be on the board but he was the headmaster. Then the real answer hit him. Cyrus had started this whole thing by saying it was his encounter with Malfoy. At this point in time, Malfoy was still the chairman, where was he? "Lord Malfoy."

"Exactly! The meeting should start in just a few minutes so why is he not here?"

Because he's a real berk? Harry wasn't sure what to say until a possible reason occurred to him. "To make a dramatic entrance…. A power play – he's proving they can't start without him."

"Correct again! You are catching on quickly, Harry. Now, why are most of these people nervous or worried?"

It struck Harry as odd that he seemed to be asking this question out of order, he brought up their emotions and jumped to Malfoy then back to why…. Oh, he was giving him a hint.

"Because he's making them wait…. No! Because he threatened their families and they are still worried about him doing it again!"

Cyrus was giving him a proud smile that was making him feel very warm inside. "So what do I need to do?"

Harry was still excited and spoke more loudly than he had really meant to. "Show them a safe way to get rid of him!"

Cyrus nodded but gave no other sign of either approval or disapproval. "Are there any other possibilities?"

"You could prove to them that they could stand up to him together if they tried but I'm not sure about that as they seem to be avoiding the place where he'll be sitting. I think he has them pretty well intimidated."

Cyrus nodded and then started the memory up with a gesture of his hand. Harry watched him greet each of the members and appearing very sure of himself yet also unusually friendly. He saw their looks become speculative as he interacted with each one, calling them by name and asking about family members by name and even the detached Timmons responded like the others. His greeting with Dowager Longbottom seemed a bit different although he did ask after Neville. He treated her as an equal and she had noticed although she didn't react much, it was possible her face softened a bit right at the end. He then sat beside her and they seemed to be presenting a united front.

Suddenly, everyone froze again and Cyrus asked, "What was I doing and how do you think that went?"

Harry wasn't sure what to say so he started with what had stood out to him. "You were more friendly than usual…." He stopped when he realized how that sounded and blushed and looked away.

However, Cyrus' voice was still bland when he prompted him with, "And?"

Ugh, he had to do better than that. Frowning, he tried to puzzle out what Cyrus had been doing. OK, the objective is to help them get rid of Malfoy or control him and he brought up their family members which seemed risky as they'd just been threatened…. He realized that he should be able to work with that. "You were trying to reassure them about their families. You projected confidence and got them to think about their safety and the safety of their families. I would guess that you have a reputation as a powerful man, the head of a powerful family. Is that right?"

Cyrus was watching him carefully. "That is my reputation, yes."

Harry nodded and gained confidence. "You were making them see you as an alternative, one that could protect them from Malfoy."

"And what was I trying to accomplish with Dowager Longbottom?"

Although he'd not been as friendly with her, he had seemed conciliatory. He wasn't quite sure what to say though. "An indication that maybe your goals were aligned?"

"That's mostly correct. It was an offer to work together for this common goal and what did you think of her response?"

"I wasn't sure as she didn't respond much. However, she did not disagree so perhaps, guarded acceptance?"

Cyrus smiled and Harry relaxed. "Very good, Harry. You read her well. That was also my assumption at this point and as you will see, we were both correct."

Cyrus continued the memory and Cyrus and Neville's grandmother ended up leading a discussion that was quite unkind to Lord Malfoy, not that Harry disagreed in the least. The memory paused as Lucius appeared in the doorway.

"I want you to watch Lord Malfoy now, Harry. Move closer so it will be easier for you to see."

Just as Harry got near Malfoy, the memory continued as he watched his eyes narrow at seeing the two visitors and he even tried to imply that they were not welcome there until Cyrus forcefully pointed out that according to the board's bylaws, parents and guardians of students were always welcome to attend and speak at meetings. It was clear that Malfoy didn't like to hear that but he didn't argue, which conceded the point. He had also noticed that Neville's Gran had seemed to relax a bit and glanced at Cyrus in a non-hostile manner. Harry was a little surprised at the fairly open hostility from Lord Malfoy, he had expected him to be more stoic, like Cyrus. It was true that his face didn't show much but his tone and words spoke volumes.

Malfoy called the meeting to order and tried to tie things up with minutiae but even some of the other board members offered some resistance. When he was forced to recognize anyone with comments, Dowager Longbottom responded with a fierce condemnation of Lord Malfoy's behaviour that had him silent and staring at her with a very taut face. She ended with a vilification of anyone who would 'use threats to manipulate the board of governors' while glaring at Malfoy. He'd seen his eyes harden but he'd also seen him paling, she was striking home and Harry couldn't help but have a triumphant smile. He glanced to see that although she had encouraged them overall, some of the board members were disconcerted or sheepish about her final declaration.

Before Malfoy could attempt to respond, Cyrus took him to task for many requested actions that had been offered by parents that had been ignored by him. Cyrus then enlarged his Pensieve and swore on his magic that he was about to show them the true copy of Harry Potter's memory of an encounter with Lord Malfoy acquired through a mutual acquaintance. Harry grinned at the thought of Daphne being that 'mutual acquaintance'.

While said lord was still trying to sputter out an objection, Cyrus had activated the Pensieve to show the memory projected above the device and all watched with rapt attention except Malfoy who was starting to look like someone who wanted to bolt from the room. It was Harry's memory playing so he mostly ignored the memory within a memory (he nearly shuddered at the strangeness of that thought) and studied the reactions of the others. He saw anger on all faces except Cyrus' who watched Malfoy with his hand on his wand as Malfoy glowered impotently back at him as he clutched his cane.

The end where Malfoy had said he looked forward to Harry meeting an end like his parents triggered a strong reaction so that the other board members and even Dowager Longbottom were out for blood. Cyrus regained their attention and then ended his remarks by declaring that Malfoy should be removed from his position on the board as allowed by their bylaws. While Malfoy was still trying to recover from that, Timmons immediately motioned for a vote and someone that Harry hadn't been quick enough to see had seconded it.

Harry felt like cheering when the motion carried 11 - 1, with Malfoy, of course, voting not to remove himself. He glared at the other members but wasn't able to intimidate anyone before Timmons also moved for a vote to have Lord Greengrass replace Malfoy on the board, which succeeded, 11 – 0. Then something happened that Harry hadn't known about. Timmons then nominated Cyrus as the new chairman and it passed 11 – 0 with Cyrus abstaining. He had given Lucius a disdainful look as he abstained from voting and even Harry could tell his pretence at ignoring Cyrus' look was a transparent sham.

Events then proceeded with Timmons retiring and suggesting Dowager Longbottom as his replacement. Cyrus quickly moved for a vote which was seconded by someone whose name escaped Harry and then Neville's grandmother became the twelfth member of that group, much to her satisfaction. She turned to look at a very quiet Lord Malfoy and declared, "At last, we are going to have board members who really care about making Hogwarts a safe place for students!"

She then gave Cyrus a look and a nod and Harry took that as an encouraging development when the memory suddenly ended and he found himself standing across from Cyrus by the Pensieve. What he had seen made him think that his concerns about the disagreement between Houses Longbottom and Greengrass might be over without his knowledge. "So do you and Neville's Gran get along now?"

"She was only showing appreciation for my support in gaining her a position on the board. She is still guarded towards me and there has been no substantive change regarding the alignment of our houses."

Harry's heart sank as his hopes were dashed. "That's too bad. Daphne and I are friends with Neville, we hoped that the issues between the families might fade away."

"Not this quickly especially with Dowager Longbottom involved. However, it does bode well for the future so perhaps someday some of our goals will align enough for our families to have a successful working relationship."

Harry nodded thoughtfully and realized he had a lot to absorb. Cyrus had played that group masterfully but he had some concerns about his ability to accomplish the same. He wasn't much of an actor and he had some concern about manipulating people, particularly as his grievances with the headmaster revolved around his tendency to do the same. He had a lot to consider and eventually, some decisions to make for himself and his house.

* * *

Albus stared at the short letter he had received back from his long-time friend and colleague, Minerva McGonagall. It had been a long time since anyone had been so blunt with him and the fact that it was someone who knew him so well made it all the more shocking. It was also the catalyst he needed to force him to re-evaluate what he was doing.

He was accustomed to being right and to having everyone support him, well everyone who mattered that is. However, he was now being not only stymied by everyone, he was directly or indirectly being told that he was wrong. And not just a little bit wrong either.

He thought he had understood the way to bring about the triumph of the light from the prophecy that Voldemort had unknowingly thrown into motion on that awful Halloween night. There had been not only so much death to one family but so much suffering to another as well. How much more misery was going to result from it?

Some of that suffering was now being placed in front of him as his fault. He thought he was doing what was required for the greater good but perhaps he was overstepping his place. The prophecy had no references that could be interpreted as being him. Was it possible that the prophecy was trying to fulfil its purpose and his machinations would interfere with what should happen? Could he possibly be making it easier for Voldemort to triumph?

Such a possibility had not occurred to him before and it required careful thought. Since things had been taken out of his hands already for this summer, perhaps he ought to take that time to ponder how he should respond to what has happened this summer. Perhaps he should also see how things stood when Harry returned to Hogwarts. He might see some changes in the young man that would make his proper place in these events more apparent. He was unaccustomed to the role but for once, it might be time for him to take a step back and let things happen as they may.

* * *

Two weeks had passed and Harry was starting to anticipate his birthday. That wasn't a normal occurrence for him as his relatives had never celebrated it but Astoria loved to tease him about it and even Daphne indulged in it occasionally. Roxanne rolled her eyes at their antics but just smiled and did nothing about it. Harry rather enjoyed it so he had no complaints.

A routine of sorts had been established as well but it was better than the one at Hogwarts as he had a lot more time with Daphne and everyone else was welcoming. Even within Gryffindor, Harry couldn't always say that while he was at school. There were their summer courses that were a staple of every weekday and Harry and Daphne continued their physical and magical workouts, with the occasional new spell suggested by Roxanne. Astoria gave up on the physical workouts rather quickly but attended several of the magical workouts, to Daphne's mild chagrin.

Then there were Harry's evening lessons with Cyrus but they only included the two of them and occurred somewhat haphazardly two or three times a week. They had been a very eye-opening experience for Harry. He gained a lot of insights into wizarding culture and as he'd said himself about people and cultures, there were good things and bad things.

Harry's introspection was interrupted by Roxanne distributing the mail. He'd gotten an amusing letter from Hermione earlier in the week. She had been excited about her trip with her parents and gone on and on in her letter about all she planned to do. It all seemed like a lot of work to Harry rather than a vacation. However, his amusement faded as this was a letter from Ron, who had nothing to smile about this summer and Harry felt very guilty about it.

He had tried to raise his friend's spirits but felt helpless. Since Ron was grounded, visitors would not be allowed and all Harry could do is write to him. It certainly hadn't helped that McGonagall had included a note about a lack of effort on Ron's part with his grades. It didn't seem fair to Harry although deep down he had to admit that their head of house had written the truth. He'd felt so guilty about it that he'd not pursued a visit with Neville even though depriving himself did nothing to help Ron.

He sighed and slowly opened the new letter from Ron. He was surprised to see a clipping from the Daily Prophet in the envelope and opened it first. He was astonished by the picture as it showed the entire Weasley family posing happily. Well, the entire Weasley family that he had met anyway. He knew there were two other brothers out there in the world somewhere. Even Scabbers was in the photo although Harry felt a little uneasy about him. Something about that rat had started to bother him since the winter break, there was something odd about that rat.

The caption for the picture surprised him. They had won a drawing! His heart lifted as that meant that Ron must be having something good happen to him this summer at last. Now he was eager to read the letter so he opened it next. They were going on vacation too! Ron was happy as his mother was so distracted about the trip and seeing her eldest Bill that she had eased up on Ron. That was such a relief for him. Then he noticed that they were leaving soon. He'd better write to him right away then, Egypt was a long ways away.

* * *

Lucius had paced in his cell until his feet hurt so he was sitting on his cot now. The mattress was too thin and lumpy, the bed linens were hardly adequate and there was no house elf to clean. He'd had to resort to Muggle means to maintain what little he had so he did it as little as possible. There was no one to impress here so why bother?

He had gotten some more information but nothing definitive. When he had investigated his potential employees, he had only done a cursory check on spouses. That might have been his undoing as he had recently found out that Burley's widow was a distant cousin of Roxanne Lannister, the current Lady Greengrass. It wasn't proof of anything as he had no indication that they had even met but it was interesting to know. If it was the Greengrasses who had done this, he did indeed have a formidable enemy. His pride was still smarting from that thorough thrashing that he had suffered at Lord Greengrass' hands when he lost his position on the board of governors.

Lord Greengrass was rich, politically influential and a very good businessman. He had a reputation for being powerful magically and he had it on good authority and his own observations that the man's Occlumency was excellent. If he was the man that put him here, it wouldn't be easy to strike at him. He was formidable enough that Lucius had to be absolutely certain it was him as provoking him for no reason would be idiocy. He'd just have to have his man keep digging, it was his best current hope.

* * *

Harry was waiting for a few minutes before going to see Cyrus for another lesson. He wondered if they would talk about the Wizengamot again. His open discussion about how he had arranged for enough Wizengamot members to vote against Malfoy had been illuminating and disturbing in equal measures. Harry had seen Lucius' conviction as justice but the reality behind the scenes was that it had been a matter of political deals and negotiations. The guilty vote had been pretty much assured before the trial even began and that just seemed wrong to Harry.

Overall, the Wizengamot discussions had been exciting in a way even though with all of the back-room deals, bribes, feuds and factions he did have to wonder how anything got accomplished. He was lucky that his Occlumency was starting to improve his memory as otherwise he'd never keep up with all of the personalities he'd have to know to move in those circles. He wanted to make a difference but he wasn't sure about mixing with that crowd. He was sure there were some of them he'd rather not meet, ever.

It was also only two days until his birthday now and although Astoria had eased up on the teasing, his anticipation continued to grow despite that. He had managed to finally visit Neville and although meeting his grandmother again had made him nervous, it seemed to go off well and his lessons in pureblood manners seemed to have paid off. Although he wasn't as thrilled with plants as his friend, he had been impressed by the greenhouses. On the other hand, he was wondering what happened to Hedwig, he hadn't seen her in almost two days. He'd been accustomed to seeing her a lot and then she suddenly disappeared. He then realized that it was time and he hurried to Cyrus' den.

"Come in, Harry."

He hadn't even gotten a chance to knock, whatever trick Dumbledore was using it was obvious that Cyrus knew it too. Someday, he'd have to ask about that but for now, he'd just do as requested.

"Good Evening, Cyrus."

"Good Evening. Have a seat, Harry, I have news."

That didn't sound good although as usual, Cyrus' manner gave nothing away. "Is something wrong?"

"It's not good and it's definitely unprecedented. It seems that someone has finally figured out how to escape from Azkaban." He fixed Harry with a solemn look that made him nervous although he tried to mask it.

"Who was it?"

'Your Godfather, Sirius Black."

Bloody hell. "That seems like a bit of coincidence though, doesn't it? I get interested in his case and then he suddenly escapes? Could they have made him disappear?"

"Well done, Harry. You must not take news like this at face value. However, I have been investigating since I heard about it. All of my sources indicate that the Ministry is in turmoil and desperate to find him so they don't have to admit that he has escaped. There is no sign of foul play on their part so for now I'm assuming he really has escaped."

"That makes resolving the questions about him even more difficult."

"Indeed, especially since they have issued a 'kiss on sight' order."

Harry felt stunned. "Kiss? Why would they want someone to kiss him?"

Harry saw what seemed to be amusement in Cyrus' eyes. "Not someone, Harry, something, a Dementor to be exact. Do you know what that is?"

Harry tried to suppress a grimace. "No, I asked once and was told that I didn't want to know. I reckon it has to be something awful."

"It is indeed an awful creature. A 'kiss' from one of them involves the removal of the victim's soul. Their body will linger on for a while but they will eventually die. It is considered the worst punishment that the Ministry can use."

Harry had no idea what to say. He had hoped for some resolution on how his parents had come to be betrayed but he seemed to be fated to never know. The timing still bothered him but what could he do? Nothing, that's what. He looked up to see Cyrus studying him, which made him more uncomfortable so he decided to speak up.

"So what are we going to talk about tonight?"

"I was thinking about keeping the subject a little lighter tonight. We can talk about the importance and implications of family magic after a few reminders about what is coming up. First, on the day of your birthday Roxanne and the girls have plans for you. I hope you are ready."

Harry couldn't hide his smile. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Good. I will come home early that day to help celebrate. I have arranged to take the next day off and we will tend to your parents' will and finding out about that prophecy about you."

Truthfully, he'd been dreading both of those things. He really did want to know more about what was going on but he wasn't at all sure that he'd like the answers he got. However, he didn't want to seem ungrateful so he tried to feign anticipation. "I'm looking forward to it."

"You don't have to pretend with me, Harry. I know the day will probably be traumatic for you but remember that I will be there for you. Roxanne wants to be there but due to the Department of Mysteries visit, we must limit who comes with us so she will stay with the girls. I promise to support you in any way you need it."

"You've been very generous and supportive, Cyrus. You've gone out of your way for me and I appreciate it."

"I don't believe I could live with myself if I did any less. So, shall we talk about family magic?"

Harry nodded as confidently as he could. His new home situation didn't eliminate his problems but it certainly made them more bearable.


	18. Happy Birthday Harry

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks for sticking with this story and special thanks to Shygui for helping to make it better.

Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect. – JK Rowling

Astoria was enjoying the game of making Harry wait. They didn't have everything ready for his party yet so she was actually helping but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun. She had quickly learned that Harry was shy and rarely initiated any physical contact so all she had to do was stand in his way and he couldn't do anything.

"Come on, Harry, you'll spoil the surprise. You just have to wait until we're all ready."

He tried to go around her so she blocked him but was almost too slow when it turned out to be a feint and he nearly got around her the other way. They ended up quite close so he backed off, laughing.

"Come on, Astoria! It's my birthday! You're supposed to be nice to me!"

"I will be, as soon as we're ready. What's the matter? Can't get past a smaller girl?"

He answered with a blush so she knew she had him controlled.

"So are you going to be a good boy and wait?"

He gave her an annoyed look that made her laugh.

"Astoria?"

That was her mother's voice and that probably meant they were ready now. "Yes, Mother?"

"You can let him in now!"

"But I was having fun! Are you sure it's time?"

Harry laughed at her pout as he walked around her. She hurried to catch up but she ended up having to follow him through the door.

* * *

Neville had been the last to arrive as his grandmother made a last minute fuss about him going to the Greengrass home. After what she had demanded to allow it in the first place, he was quite upset with her that she had made him late. However, he was here for a birthday party and he wouldn't allow his Gran to ruin it for Harry.

Roxanne had been rather reserved after dealing with his Gran as she brought him to their home and went into the sitting room where he saw Daphne and Tracey helping with some preparations. He got hugs from both of them that had him blushing furiously. He wondered how red he looked as he must be approaching tomato with how warm his face felt. He was drawn from his embarrassment when he heard Roxanne call out to Astoria. It quickly became obvious that Astoria had been keeping Harry out of the room until he got there.

He'd only seen Astoria once and had never officially met her but she sounded like she was someone who enjoyed life. He grinned at her cheeky response to her mother and when Harry finally entered, he yelled 'Surprise!' along with the others, which included Roxanne, Daphne, Tracey and himself. There were decorations but it was nothing like what Dobby had done for Daphne's party.

He noticed that Harry handled Tracey's hug slightly better than he had but he had still looked a little uncomfortable. Then Harry came over and they shook hands as Harry greeted him and they exchanged happy birthdays. He also assured him that he liked the plants that Harry had sent him. There was one he'd never seen before and it was fascinating. Then he was confronted by Astoria so he gave her the formal greeting that custom demanded. She seemed to like it but then gave him an innocent look and asked, "Can't we be friends?"

He certainly wasn't going to say no as he liked having friends. "Of course." Before he could continue. He found himself in a remarkably big hug for such a petite girl.

"Thanks, Neville!"

He was speechless and uncertain what to do. When she followed up a too-long hug with an extra squeeze and a coquettish look, he found himself blushing yet again. Were all of the girls setting out to embarrass him?

* * *

Tracey was glad to see her best friend again and they talked as they put the finishing touches on the room. Then Roxanne came with Neville and she got distracted and tried to give him an enthusiastic greeting. She was a little disappointed that he greeted them both exactly the same way. He'd written that nobody else had corresponded with him as much as her. Didn't that count for something? On the other hand, she hadn't had the courage to make her interest clear. He was a boy and being subtle with him wouldn't likely result in any progress, she had to face that fact.

Then she saw the performance of Astoria with Neville and she tried to relax as she glared at the girl. She normally didn't have a problem with the younger girl but obviously took Daphne's side in any sibling disagreements. Her current behaviour was really setting Tracey's teeth on edge though. She would have to consider taking a more active approach to Neville.

* * *

Harry had seen others interact like him and Astoria had but never participated himself. It was fun in a weird way and he didn't mind her teasing at all. This must be what it feels like to have a little sister. On the other hand, Daphne didn't seem like a sister or at least not like he felt about Hermione. There was something different about it that he couldn't put his finger on but he'd figure it out someday.

It was a nice surprise to see Tracey and Neville, he hadn't been told that they were coming and they'd surprised him pretty well. However, it looked like he'd have to warn Neville about Astoria and how she likes to flirt. He was particularly pleased to see that Neville was in a good mood. He'd been invited to his birthday the previous day but his grandmother wouldn't allow access to the Greengrasses and he had reluctantly declined so Harry was especially glad to see him today. He had the feeling that there were parts that he wasn't told, he'd have to ask Neville about it when he got a chance to speak to him alone.

Roxanne had asked him what he'd wanted to do and decided on Exploding Snap as he wasn't that fond of Gobstones and it also might make a mess of the Greengrass home. It turned out to be a rather raucous and competitive game and it was Neville who won the most. Daphne talked him into trying a game new to him called Rune Riddles which turned out to be fun although he didn't know much about runes yet as they'd only had four lessons so far.

Eventually everyone decided that it was time for the cake and Harry got to eat his first birthday cake. The one that Hagrid had given him when they first met didn't count as he'd never gotten to eat any after his oaf of a cousin had helped himself. Eventually it was time for him to open presents and he allowed himself to finally take in the pile of gifts they had for him. This probably even beat out last Christmas as his best haul ever.

He went over and savoured the variety of gifts from the smallest one from Astoria to the largest which was from Daphne although one from her parents was similar in size but a different shape so it was hard to be sure which was largest. What meant the most to him was that this group of people felt strongly enough about him to do this. Just then Cyrus entered and everyone exchanged greetings before things settled down again and he could begin.

The one he was anticipating the most was the one from Daphne but he wanted to save the best for last so he decided to choose Neville's first. It was probably a book but it was large in height and width but not very thick. He suspected it had something to do with Herbology but when he opened it he discovered it was a much more personal gift. It said it was the Potter family tree.

He stared at it in wonder and was startled to find that when he touched on a person, it would expand with more information and even siblings. However, not everyone was available. Although he did see his mother's parents, that part of the tree went no further. He saw up to his great grandparents on his father's side on the first page. When he turned the page he saw an expansion from one of his great grandparents.

There were many more pages to go through so he wasn't going to do that now but he was flabbergasted at the work that must have gone into this. It was probably custom made and very expensive. He looked at a smiling Neville and he smiled back so hard that his face hurt. He had a very good friend in Neville and just got swept up in the moment and gave him a hug, unable to say anything.

It was his first gift and he was already getting emotional so he figured he better calm things back down. So which should he choose? He immediately decided on Ron's gift, which would likely be Quidditch related and much less provocative. He was amazed to take out something he didn't recognize. He had to read the letter quickly to discover that it was a sneak-o-scope, something he'd only been vaguely aware of existing.

He'd been disappointed for Ron's sake that his rat had run off but personally, he wouldn't miss that slightly creepy rodent. That probably explained the somewhat sour look on Ron's face in the picture he had sent. Everyone else was smiling, especially the twins. Percy did look slightly miffed despite his smile, perhaps he'd just been pranked. He related the gist of the letter and what his gift was to the rest of them before deciding that he should proceed to his other absent friend's present next.

Her letter was much longer so he just skimmed it quickly and had to keep from rolling his eyes at the work she was putting in during her vacation. He was surprised to find out what Hedwig had been up to, finding Hermione so that she could send her gift. She had suddenly returned the previous day but had dutifully delivered to the goblins rather than to him directly. Expecting a book, he was shocked at getting a broom servicing kit. Both of his oldest friends had surprised him this birthday.

That reminded him that the one who'd told him he was a wizard also had a gift. Fortunately, it didn't look like rock cakes but it did look like a book, which would be another shock. That turned out to be an understatement when the book had snapped at him when he'd tried to open it. He was so startled that he dropped it and it started to shuffle its way across the floor while making grunting sounds. As if that wasn't enough, Astoria had let out a shrill shriek.

It flopped over inert after someone had hit it with a stunning spell. Well, so far his gifts had been one surprise after another, how could anyone top this? Roxanne walked over and picked it up carefully before opening to the initial page. "It says you have to calm the book by stroking the spine a few times before opening it. Really helpful of them to put that information on the _inside_ of the book when it would be hard get there without knowing this."

Her sarcastic tone had Harry smiling and then she then closed the book and read the title. "The Monster Book of Monsters. That's the text for Care of Magical Creatures. Harry, did you take that class? I thought you took the same ones as Daphne."

"I did take the same classes and I saw no value in that class for me. I guess that Hagrid just thought I'd be interested in it. He likes dangerous creatures like dragons and Cerberuses so this is just what he'd like."

"Hagrid? Do you mean Rubeus Hagrid? He's the new Creatures professor."

"Hagrid is going to be a professor!? I had no idea!" He looked at Neville who looked equally gobsmacked. He then glanced at Daphne who was already looking at him curiously. "What?"

He got only a hint of apprehension from her stoic manner. "Are you going to change your mind and take his class?"

Harry mulled that over and realized it required some thought. He sort of wanted to support his first friend and he had considered the class before rejecting it. On the other hand though, he now wanted to excel in his classes and already had some extra things to do. For something that wasn't necessary to any of the careers that he was considering, he just didn't want to make the time sacrifice it would require. "No. I might stop by and watch a class though, just to say 'hi'."

Daphne's sudden big smile made him think she was relieved, which puzzled him a bit. For now it didn't matter as he'd made a decision and he was going to stick with it. He looked down at the book and said, "I guess I'll take a look at it when I'm in the mood for it. For now, I'll put it in a safe place where it won't get disturbed." He put it down carefully, which drew a chuckle from someone behind him.

He took Astoria's gift next as he was curious what his honorary 'little sister' might have gotten him. He didn't miss her squeal of excitement so he was grinning as he opened the gift. She had moved closer to see him better and they were both startled when the gift suddenly lifted up on little wings and it zipped directly towards Astoria's face. Just as he was realizing that it must be a snitch, he snatched it out of the air right in front of her face. She looked at him, dumbfounded.

He didn't hide his amusement when he asked, "You got me a snitch?"

Astoria had recovered her aplomb by then and retorted, "I got you a practice snitch. I heard that you like to play and that you're the seeker."

He smiled at her and said, 'You heard correctly, thank you." He then gave her a quick hug but she wasn't having it.

"Boys! That was not a proper hug. You do it like this." She then proceeded to give him a tighter, longer hug and then the innocent look up through her lashes.

He wasn't fooled for a moment and rolled his eyes. He heard chuckles from Neville and Tracey but nothing from Daphne. He glanced at her and saw she had her public stoic mask on. He wondered why but then decided to get on with it. He selected the gift from the Greengrass parents next and was surprised at the heft of it.

He opened it up to see a boxed set of reference books and recognized them for ones that had been mentioned and used in their classes this summer. He was familiar enough with the contents to know this would be valuable to him in his classes. Then he noticed a smaller package that he'd missed that was from just Cyrus. He opened it to find a shaving kit and pondered it as he absently scratched at his chin. He had noticed a hair growing on his chin but was surprised by the gift.

"Wow! Thank you both. I'll be able to write much better essays with references like these. I'll be using them a lot. Oh, and this too, I guess." He looked at the shaving kit again and heard someone snicker and decided he didn't want to see who it was.

He gave Roxanne a hug and although he'd planned to shake hands with Cyrus, he was surprised by a quick hug. That also drew looks from his daughters and Astoria didn't hide her surprise. That just made Harry feel embarrassed so he quickly looked over and saw only two gifts.

He grabbed the one from Tracey and opened it to find a game that he wasn't familiar with. She quickly began to explain. "It's a wizarding board game based on divination. You pull a card that has a story and then you take turns with the crystal ball and try to come up with the ending. There are several possible endings so you have to interpret the clues to win."

Harry didn't have much respect for the subject of divination but he'd give the game a try. "It sounds like it could be interesting, we should give it a try later."

* * *

Daphne wasn't having a very good day but made sure she didn't show it to Harry and spoil his day. First her brat of a sister had way too much fun keeping Harry out of the site of the party. She didn't appreciate her rather obvious hugging lesson and felt better when it earned the little 'princess' a glare from their mother. It was about time the little wretch was caught out.

The worst of it was that Harry seemed to be teasing her. Why else would he leave her gift until dead last? She was taking a bit of a gamble with her gift and it was an expensive one too. Would he like it? The wait was making it difficult for her to maintain her impassive façade.

Finally it was the last gift and he had to open it. She caught herself holding her breath as he opened it and her hopes fell a little when he seemed confused. They were not common and he may never have heard of them before. She couldn't take the suspense any more so she blurted out, "They're battle robes."

That earned her a look of astonishment from Harry and then he carefully unfolded it and began inspecting it. It reminded her a bit of how she must have examined his invisibility cloak and it brought a smile to her face. He seemed fascinated with her gift and that eased her anxiety considerably. She hadn't made a big mistake and she was protecting him as well. Who knows what mischief the boy could get into? She might not always be there to protect him but this could.

* * *

Cyrus watched the festivities of Harry's birthday party after everything had settled down again after his arrival. He had finally gotten to start a less formal relationship with the other boy his wife was concerned about: Heir Longbottom. He'd seemed a little nervous, which he expected based on their description of his low confidence level. However, he seemed more self-assured than described although now that he was thinking about it, his daughter had mentioned that he was gaining confidence.

The day his eldest had returned home for winter break, he'd gotten his first hint of what Harry Potter meant to his daughter. It had made him curious and he'd learned enough that he might be a good match for her if it came to that, which was good enough at that point. When his mother had brought it up too, he just went along with it. He had been willing to take the boy in for the summers and his wife had convinced him to train him for his future duties. It had sort of been like having a son and he hadn't put up much resistance. Thus, it had started innocently enough.

There had been some small things along the way that tightened the bonds between House Greengrass and this boy who seemed to have a talent for attracting trouble. The next major one was their plot to take down Lord Malfoy. It was a risky thing to do but Daphne had come up with a good plan during their correspondence and once they agreed on supervision by Roxanne, he approved it. Malfoy had endangered all of the students so in a way it was a house matter but the main impetus was obvious: to support Harry Potter.

The next major thing was the battle robes. This wasn't as risky as the Malfoy plan as he was not violating the letter of the law. They were not only expensive, the Ministry would claim they are illegal for non-Aurors to own. That isn't quite what the law said though and Cyrus was certain Fudge couldn't make it stick. Nonetheless, he'd have to convince Harry to keep them low-key and limit who knew. He already knew he could keep a secret, he'd been following their agreement for months.

Then there was what he'd had to do for the Longbottom Heir to attend this party. Talk about a risk and he was still upset with the Dowager Longbottom for insisting on it. Their heir was healthy and enjoying himself so the risk was small now but it was still a risk. Didn't their successful collaboration to remove Malfoy count for something?

However, he had slowly been dragged into what amounted to a familial alliance even though Harry was in no position to enter into one yet. He could now see a future where the famous Greengrass neutrality would have to end. He very well could have to declare for Harry Potter one day but hoped he could avoid being too close to Dumbledore. He'd had some reservations about the man already but what he had learned through Harry made him even more uneasy.

When Harry came to thank him for the gift, he decided to show his support in a more obvious way than a mere handshake. His daughters had noticed and his wife had smiled. He just hoped his feelings as a father had not led him to make a mistake as the lord of his house. Only time would tell but he had no regrets at this moment as his future heir and his heart were telling him that this is what he needed to do.

* * *

As Harry inspected the robes, he noticed that Daphne had come to stand next to him and he gave her a smile. Then she pointed out a booklet that he hadn't noticed yet and he started to read about the features and care of his new battle robes. He was dazzled by all of the protections built in to the robes. He'd be hard to successfully attack while wearing them as he was even protected from physical attacks, not just magical ones. However, there was a list of what it could not stop and Voldemort's favourite was prominent on the list: Avada Kedavra.

Still, this was an incredible gift, a very protective gift too. He resisted looking at Daphne as he wondered what this might mean. It might just mean they were good friends, which he already knew. Could it mean more than that though? Thinking about it made him nervous so again he pushed that aside for now.

He thanked her and gave her a quick hug. They tried the new game he'd gotten from Tracey and since it was new to most of them, they enjoyed it for quite a while, to his mild surprise. Unlike the school subject it was based on, Harry found it interesting and fun. They had dinner and then talked in various groupings until it was time for the party to end.

Astoria was sent to bed, much to her dismay, while Harry spoke with Neville and Daphne spoke with Tracey. When they had separated off, Harry used a spell that Roxanne had taught him that she had learned from his mother. It was a brilliant privacy spell called Muffliato. It gave him the chance to ask about what he may have been missing.

"Neville, I was wondering how they convinced your grandmother to let you come here." Neville sighed and looked around so Harry added, "They can't hear you, I used a privacy spell."

"My Gran made Lord Greengrass give a Wizard's Oath guaranteeing my safe return just as I was."

Harry was learning a lot about magic now and knew what that could have cost Cyrus. "Wow. I don't think she realizes the sort of man Lord Greengrass is. He's been great to me. The next time I visit, I think we need to talk to her."

"I never really met him before other than formal greetings. He's not like I thought, he always seemed so distant and unemotional."

"It's the way he was taught to be a good Lord of a major house. Daphne was the same and it's just a façade. They aren't really like that at all."

"I think I see that now, especially with Daphne. She seems very nice, friendly even."

"She is, she's a great friend. I don't know what I'd do without her now. So, we'll talk to your Gran then?"

"She's stubborn but yes, we can try."

"Good. Also, don't worry too much about Astoria's behaviour, she's a bit of a flirt." It looked like Cyrus was waiting to take Neville back so he said his goodbyes and watched them go. He then turned to Daphne who was the only one left. "Where are Roxanne and Tracey?"

"She took Tracey home. Tracey said to tell you goodbye for her as she didn't want to interrupt you two."

"I was talking to him about what your father had to do to get him here. Did you know?"

Daphne made a moue of distaste. "Yes. Unfortunately the Dowager Longbottom is a very rigid woman."

"Neville and I will talk to her. I don't like her demanding things like that. Neville says she's stubborn but I have to try."

Daphne smiled and said, "Good luck with that." They continued to chat about the party and their friends until her parents returned.

Harry was rubbing his scar when they reappeared and quickly moved his hand away. The parents approached the pair seriously so when her mother told Daphne it was time for her to go to bed she looked reluctant but complied right away anyway. When she was gone, Roxanne looked at Harry and spoke as she gently moved his fringe away from his scar.

"I noticed your scar looks irritated, has it been bothering you?"

Bugger. After all this time he'd pretty much put it out of his mind but now he might have to admit to failing to bring it up for weeks now. "It doesn't hurt but I have had this tingling feeling."

Roxanne frowned as she asked, "For how long?"

Busted. "Since the night I got here."

Roxanne's face twisted in surprise and then disappointment. "Harry! You should have mentioned it!"

"It didn't really bother me! I thought it was unimportant and I didn't want to bother you."

She still had a small frown as she asked, "Is the tingling normal?"

"No." He had tried to explain it away so he'd just take whatever grief he'd earned by not bringing it up. He was relieved when she turned to Cyrus, who had also been studying his forehead with a frown.

"Could it be some reaction to our wards?"

Cyrus considered for a moment but then shook his head. "Highly unlikely but it is an interesting coincidence. Has it reacted to anything specific when you've been here?"

"No Sir, it's pretty much the same all the time." He saw a ghost of a smile on Cyrus' face, probably at his use of the word 'sir' but Cyrus didn't correct him.

Cyrus turned to look at Roxanne and said, "We are going to see my friend at the Department of Mysteries tomorrow anyway, I can ask him about it. He could even examine it if it would help."

"That's good, we can always try a healer if we need to."

Harry felt bad as he'd been worrying about bothering them and they were only annoyed as they were concerned about his wellbeing. It was quite an adjustment for him to deal with people who really cared. On the other hand, he felt it was a good thing to have to become accustomed to.

Cyrus asked, "So, Harry, are you ready for tomorrow? We have an appointment at Gringotts first and then we go to the Department of Mysteries."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"I'll be there with you every moment, Harry. I don't want you to worry."

"I appreciate that, Cyrus. Thank you. I guess I'd better get to bed too."

"Indeed. Good night, Harry."

He gave Roxanne a good night and a hug and since he seemed to expect it, he gave one to Cyrus too. This was so different to him it was almost surreal. It was a good sort of surreal though.

When he got to his room, he found a letter from Hogwarts waiting for him, someone must have delivered it for him from the banishing box. He quickly discovered that they had already given him every single book he needed for the year! How was he ever going to repay them for all this? Then he remembered that they didn't expect any repayment so he felt warm as he blushed but overall he was very content.

Then he looked at the permission slip for visiting Hogsmeade. It specifically said that the guardian had to sign it but there was no way he'd go back to the Dursleys, he'd have to bring this up later. He hoped there'd be a way to get a valid signature. In fact, he might find out enough tomorrow to know what to do.

* * *

Lucius felt like a fool, he had completely overlooked a possible connection between his two recent setbacks. Could he be facing a coalition rather than a single enemy? It was clear that Greengrass and Longbottom had worked together to have him removed from the board of governors, he had to consider this seriously and carefully. The clue had been right there in front of him: a 'mutual acquaintance' had supplied that memory. Based on what he had heard from his son, the Longbottom Heir and Potter were friends so the Longbottom Heir must be the source of that memory!

He hadn't considered a coalition as he'd heard of the hostility between Dowager Longbottom and the Greengrass family (and other families, for that matter). He could see it now, the Longbottom boy brings the memory to his grandmother and she sought an ally and somehow found Greengrass. Why would they be satisfied with removing him from the board? They decided to do a thorough job of it and remove him from society at large and get him sentenced to Azkaban.

He gritted his teeth and had to force himself to remain silent. This may fuel his rage at his situation but this new realization demanded subtlety. Greengrass was bad enough but a coalition would be extremely dangerous. He had to be even more careful now and needed all possible sources of information. He resolved to have a private chat with his son, it was time for him to make himself useful. He had to keep his eye on Potter, of course, but also Longbottom and the Greengrass heiress. In fact, if he remembered correctly, Cyrus would have a younger daughter joining Hogwarts this fall. She was probably the weakest link, he really needed to get that started.

* * *

When Harry woke the next morning he inspected first his forehead and then his chin in the mirror. His scar looked the same but he was surprised to see that he now had three hairs on his chin, when had that happened? He read the directions on the shaving kit and was surprised that no blades nor shaving cream were involved. He tentatively waved the 'shaver' over his chin and was surprised to see that the hairs had disappeared! Well, it was magic after all so he felt a little silly for being startled by it.

Then his smile faded as he realized what would happen that day. Harry had known this day was coming but it seemed like it was too soon. Whereas the anticipation of yesterday was exciting, this was not, so he felt like there was impending doom coming for him but he tried not to show it. He had a light Occlumency trance going, just to take the edge off.

Breakfast was rather quiet and Cyrus was with them, which was not the norm. He didn't think that was the reason for the quiet though as all three females were giving him concerned glances. He appreciated that they cared but their anxiety certainly wasn't helping him. It was almost a relief when it was time to go but not totally as now it was time to face some parts of his past. What he knew of the story wasn't exactly encouraging. After some glamours were applied to Harry, they Apparated to Diagon Alley.

Harry tried to bury himself in an Occlumency trance as they approached the goblin bank. His anxiety was ratcheting up and he knew it would end up ensuring he made a bad impression on the goblins. They respected confidence although they didn't like arrogance any more than anyone else. They would not respect fear or submissiveness, they would try to take advantage of that. As a future lord of a major house, he had to have a more business-like relationship with the goblins, not have to deal with attempts to manipulate him.

He didn't focus much on the short conversation that Cyrus had with one of the tellers. His participation was limited to presenting his key when it was requested. He was jolted out of his near-daze when he recognized the goblin leading them to wherever it was they were going. At the last moment, he remembered to make it a more traditional goblin greeting.

"Greetings, Griphook. May your gold increase and your enemies die."

That earned him a surprised look and a quick response. "Greetings, Heir Potter. I am surprised that you remember me. May your gold increase and your enemies die as well."

Either his greeting or the presence of another lord of a major house had changed Griphook's view of him as Griphook had never referred to him as an heir before. He was still trying to figure out what that might mean, if anything, when they stopped in front of a large door identical to the others in the hallway. There was no number nor name tag so how did he know where to stop?

"This is the office of the Potter Account Manager, his name is One Fang. May your meeting be fruitful, Heir Potter and Lord Greengrass."

Griphook nodded towards both of them, knocked on the door and quickly departed. Harry stared at the door wondering about the strange names that goblins had when he heard the voice of an older goblin rasp, "Come in."

He took a fortifying breath and opened the door but then realized that perhaps Cyrus should go first but when he looked back, Cyrus waved him forward. He walked in and saw an old goblin with a few wispy grey hairs on his head behind the desk and studying him silently. He saw that there were two human-sized chairs ready for them and then remembered that they had an appointment so of course they were ready for two humans in the meeting.

Even though Cyrus followed him in and sat in the chair beside him, the old goblin's eyes stayed on Harry, still silently studying him. He was starting to immerse himself further into his trance to counter his anxiety when the goblin finally spoke.

"Greetings, Heir Potter. I am the Potter Account Manager, One Fang."

"Greetings, One Fang." Harry wasn't sure what else to say as One Fang had not used the typical goblin greeting.

"It is good to finally meet you after many years of no contact. We were concerned that we could not contact you until your house-elf finally came to us for some statements. Do you know who has been interfering with owl post sent to you?"

"I don't know for certain, but I suspect Dumbledore. I can now receive owl post through the Greengrass banishing box."

The old goblin nodded and finally looked away from Harry to stare at the parchment in front of him. "We were aware of the banishing box, of course. Is that how you wish to receive our statements?"

"For the summer, yes. Once Hogwarts starts, I'm not sure." He looked over to Cyrus but Cyrus was looking at the goblin and spoke directly to him.

"If you cannot owl him directly at Hogwarts, you could send them to my daughter Daphne and she can give them to him."

The goblin glanced at Cyrus before looking back at Harry and asking, "Is that what you wish, Heir Potter?"

"Yes, One Fang."

"You seem curious about my name."

How had he known that? With sudden concern, Harry strengthened his Occlumency shields.

"Do not be concerned, young wizard. I have been curious about you for many years and I am a careful observer, nothing more. When I was young, I got into a fight with a rival and lost one of my fangs." He opened his mouth into a grisly smile and sure enough, his left upper fang was missing but he had plenty of other very pointy teeth. "My rival's name is Toothless and he still works in the mines while I have advanced to Account Manager."

Harry didn't have to guess more than once how his rival got that name. He got the message loud and clear, this was not a goblin to mess with.

"I want you to know that your fortune is in good hands."

That was a relief, he had started to think that One Fang was angry at him about the whole owl post business. "I am sure that it true, One Fang. I am a little surprised your rival still lives."

Harry tried to stifle his reaction when the goblin chuckled before responding. Even their chuckles were intimidating. "He has served me better by being alive as he spreads my reputation to others. Enough about that, you wanted to see your parents' will as the sole heir who is at least thirteen years old, correct?"

"That is correct, One Fang."

"We have already verified all of the criteria so I now pass our copy on for you to read. It must remain here but take your time, I have no other business at this time."

As Harry understood that, this was an unusual offer as goblins preferred to be busy. However, he saw that One Fang already seemed to be reading something else so he pulled the document in front of him and after a glance at Cyrus, he began to read.

The entire first page was boring legal language so he scanned through it for more interesting parts. He got to the crux of matters and saw right away that they had a clarification as their first item.

 **We have lied to everyone about who our secret keeper is. We told everyone else that our secret keeper is Sirius Black as he was an obvious choice but that was a ruse to deflect attention from our real secret keeper, Peter Pettigrew. We hope that our lie causes no issues but in case it did, we want to clarify it here.**

"Look, Cyrus! Read this part here!"

He pushed the document over and pointed to the section of interest and watched as Cyrus read.

Cyrus' eyes widened and then he calmly spoke to the goblin. "One Fang, could we have a certified copy of this will?"

The old goblin turned to Harry and asked, "Is this what you wish, Heir Potter?"

"Yes, One Fang."

"As you wish. The fee of five galleons will be withdrawn from your account."

He saw the goblin begin to pull out a form and fill it out. He glanced at Cyrus who pushed the will back towards him and indicated that he should continue. His thoughts were all over the place at the proof that his Godfather was innocent. Unfortunately, with the man a wanted escapee, he wasn't sure what they could do about it.

Harry then continued to peruse the document for any more surprises and came to the bequests on the next page and saw some familiar names but then hit one unfamiliar to him. He looked over at Cyrus and quietly asked, "Who is Remus Lupin?"

"He is one of your father's friends. I didn't know him but Roxanne can tell you about him."

That was enough for now but did wonder why he'd never heard from him before. Then he remembered the owl post issue so it might not be disinterest on this Remus Lupin's part. He got to the end of the bequests and saw a section about his guardianship that changed everything.

 **If both of us are dead or unable to care for Harry, our instructions for his guardianship are as follows:**

 **First choice is Alice (godmother) and Frank Longbottom.**

 **Second choice is Sirius Black, his godfather.**

 **Third choice is Roxanne and Cyrus Greengrass.**

 **If none of the above can take him, then we designate Minerva McGonagall as the judge of the magical guardian best suited for Harry. If the ridiculous anti-Werewolf laws have been repealed, then we wish Remus Lupin to be considered. Under no circumstances are Petunia or Vernon Dursley to be considered as guardians.**

He had to cling to his trance to control himself but he was still pretty sure one tear was going down his cheek. He should never have gone to his aunt and uncle and given what happened soon after their deaths he should have gone right where he was now. Again, he pushed the will over and pointed to where Cyrus should read. He had one question that he needed an answer to.

"One Fang, has Dumbledore read this will?"

The old goblin gave him a look that might have been sympathetic, he wasn't sure. "He has not read our copy but we have no way of knowing if he read the Ministry copy."

He still had no direct evidence to prove anything but he was no longer going to trust Dumbledore. That man had a lot to answer for in Harry's opinion.


	19. Past is Prologue

A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks for reading and/or reviewing this story. Special thanks to Shygui for helping to make this worth reading. Here is the final chapter.

If you can't change your fate, change your attitude. - Charles Revson

Cyrus Greengrass was ambivalent about this day. He suspected he would be drawn deeper into whatever was going on than before but he was also proud to be Harry Potter's support on this day. He couldn't help but feel a little bit like a father to him. He even felt a bit of pride to see the boy standing calmly in his new robes while he waited to go. It was rather obvious he was using Occlumency but it was still impressive with as little experience as the boy had.

Other than a few glamours on Harry to avoid attention, it was a rather routine visit to Gringotts until Harry greeted the goblin leading them to where they needed to go. First, it had never occurred to him that they might use the same goblin as an escort for certain wizards. Second, he was surprised that Harry recognized him at all. Cyrus could recognize his own account manager but the tellers and escorts were all nameless to him.

He immediately saw the value in such recognition though, the goblin had been rather friendly for his kind for the rest of the trip. Next, he was surprised by what appeared to be personal interest in Harry by the Potter account manager. He had a good working relationship with his own account manager but they'd never expressed any personal connection at all. Perhaps it was not just him being taken in by this boy and his effect could even cross species lines.

Again, he was impressed with Harry's control as he pointed out two emotionally-provocative passages in his parents' will. It had been one thing to speculate that Black might be innocent, it was quite another to see proof. This was the sort of proof he needed to get him a trial but now that blasted man had gone and escaped and destroyed their plans. Still, it was important to have a copy just in case as one never knew when one might need a contingency plan.

Then there was the vindication of his decision to take Harry Potter into his family. It had been the choice of his parents and he now had proof. He'd known they'd been asked if they were willing, of course, but that didn't mean they'd made it into the final will. Now he might even have the means to obtain official guardianship so he ought to speak to the boy about it. He'd have to wait though, this was already a tumultuous day and they'd only begun.

He waited after Harry asked the question about Dumbledore reading the will but apparently he was too busy with the answer to ask any more questions. Cyrus decided to bring up his greatest curiosity about the Potter affairs at Gringotts. "Does Heir Potter have access to any vaults other than his trust vault?"

One Fang looked at him momentarily but turned back to Harry to speak. "Would you like Lord Greengrass to be your guardian for your Gringotts transactions, Heir Potter?"

That seemed to brighten Harry's mood. "If we could do that it would be great, One Fang."

"As you wish, Heir Potter." Another form was filled out and when Harry signed where One Fang had indicated, his question was answered.

"Heir Potter has had access to the artefacts vault of the Potters since he turned eleven."

"Do you know if his family grimoire is in that vault?"

"Most likely but allow me a moment to verify."

As One Fang was going through papers, Cyrus looked at Harry and Harry smiled weakly at him when he noticed. Harry was doing as well as could be expected then. Obtaining the grimoire was the end of their business here as far as he knew so that was somewhat of a relief. However, their visit to the Department of Mysteries would almost certainly include more challenges this day.

"Yes, both grimoires are available in that vault."

Both? As in TWO?! The only explanation for that that Cyrus could think of is another family being folded into theirs. Harry having two grimoires was very good news indeed. The boy would have a lot of family magic available to him, making him a more powerful ally and a better protector for his lady.

"We will need to retrieve those before we go."

"Certainly, I can arrange that while the certified copy of the will is being produced and we'll have it ready upon your return. Was there anything more?"

Harry merely looked to him and Cyrus had nothing more for now so he said, "No, One Fang. That will be enough for one day."

One Fang gave them a somewhat unnerving smile and then rang a bell. While they waited he spoke to Cyrus. "Lord Greengrass, I must caution you to not attempt to enter the Potter artefacts vault on your own. You may only enter if Heir Potter leads you in by physical contact. Any other manner of entry would have unfortunate results." After a few tense moments, there was a knock on the door. Cyrus thought it might be the same goblin and the exchanged nods between him and Harry confirmed this.

"Griphook, take these two to the Potter artefacts vault, number 101."

"As you wish, One Fang." With that, Griphook bowed to One Fang and led them away. The ride in the cart was refreshing in a way as it gave him time to think. So far, the day had gone better than he expected even though it brought up some bad memories. He hoped their next visit went as well.

They arrived at the vault and he went with Harry about half way and stopped well short of the door. He took the warning very seriously as he strongly suspected the 'unfortunate results' would include his demise. He didn't have a good angle on the goblin's face but he was pretty sure he was smirking at his caution.

Harry stopped by the door uncertainly but Cyrus was familiar with the design of the door. "Harry, do you see that small Potter coat of arms on the right side of the door? Put your hand there, it will know you by your blood."

He saw the small flinch as Harry's blood was sampled but that would never happen again. For all future visits, he'd be recognized by his magic. The door swung open as Harry stepped aside and Cyrus saw a huge vault filled with chests, book cases, furniture and he also saw some jewellery boxes. He had suspected that the Potters were very rich and here was proof. Harry stepped back towards him and held out his hand.

"Aren't you coming?"

How could he say no? He answered by walking over to him and taking his hand and together they entered the vault. Cyrus couldn't help but feel that their roles had reversed for a moment with Harry leading the way.

When he looked now, he saw a pedestal that hadn't been visible from outside the vault. The two books on top of it made it rather obvious why it was there. The problem was he found it hard to look at the top book. It seemed to glow like the sun, too bright to look at directly. Harry seemed to have no such issue as he went up to the book and peered at it.

Harry then picked it up, flipped through a lot of pages but only spent time on what might have been the first page. It was hard for Cyrus to tell with how bright it was. When Harry looked at him he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I can't look at that book, it must be family magic. The other book isn't as bad for me. What do you see?"

"On this book, I don't see much. On the cover is only a name and on the first page there are some Arithmantic equations and that's it, the rest is blank."

"What is the name?"

"Ignotus Peverell"

He had a book from one of the famous Peverell brothers? Ignotus was the youngest if he remembered his history correctly. The magic in that book must be amazing, no wonder he wasn't allowed to look. "That is a very valuable book, Harry. Take good care of it. For some books, you have to pass a test to read it. That might be what the Arithmancy is for."

"A test?!"

Cyrus chuckled, apparently Harry didn't appreciate surprise tests. "Harry, I am certain that the book will be worth whatever it takes to read it. Here, I brought a bottomless bag, you can put anything you want to take in it."

Harry put that shining book in it and Cyrus was freed from the blinding light. Harry held up the other book and said, "The Potter Grimoire" before putting it in as well. A nearby bookcase caught Harry's eye and after a few moments he eagerly announced, "My mother's journals!" A series of books followed the first two into the bag. Harry looked at a notebook and put that into the bag as well. He grabbed another book and after perusing it, he added it to the bag and mentioned, "It was written by my father."

As Harry continued to study the books in the bookcase Cyrus looked around and realized that they'd be here for days if Harry wanted to look at everything. He might have to encourage him to cut off his perusal soon. Harry obviously reached the same conclusion himself when he found only one other book of interest and then gazed around at everything else.

"There's plenty for other days, I guess. Should we go?"

"I agree, Harry. It will take days to go through everything and we have another stop to make today."

When they reached the main building again, a young goblin was waiting and handed something to Griphook when they debarked from the cart. After a look at it, Griphook presented it to Cyrus. "This is the certified copy of the will that you wanted, Lord Greengrass."

"Thank you, Griphook."

It was hard to tell but he thought the goblin appreciated being called by name. They bade him farewell and then Cyrus announced it was time for lunch and Harry seemed to agree so he led them to a small restaurant that Cyrus liked. Once they had ordered, Cyrus put up a privacy spell and turned to Harry as he seemed to be thinking very hard about something.

"Is there anything you wish to discuss, Harry?"

"Since we now have some proof that my godfather is innocent, can we have the Dementors called off?"

He had wondered when that would come up but he had waited as his answer wasn't a good one. "If this were a normal case, I am sure that Madam Bones would be reasonable and approachable on the issue. Unfortunately for us and your godfather, this is not a normal case as it is being driven by the Minister of Magic himself and he is being very unreasonable. I approached him about the lack of a trial as part of my Wizengamot business and he refused to listen. He's acting like this is critical to his administration and was dismissive on the issue. I doubt I can convince him to even look at the will if I hold it in front of his face."

Harry looked appalled and the silence continued until they were served. Harry ate slowly but eventually quietly asked, "Is the privacy spell still up?"

"Yes, we're free to talk until we leave here."

"Are you going to approach Madam Bones?"

"Of course, I'll make an appointment with her as soon as I can. I doubt she can stop anything but having the head of the DMLE know of the issue may help. I'll even attempt a meeting with Fudge but given how our last meeting ended, I doubt he'll see me."

Harry looked depressed but continued to eat well even though he wasn't enthusiastic. After finishing their meal, they went to the Leaky Cauldron and flooed to the Ministry. Harry automatically kept near him as he clutched his bag and looked around. They checked in at the security desk then headed for the lifts.

When they reached the DOM level, Cyrus hid his smile when he saw his friend. He was using the same glamours and never disguised his voice but then, he wasn't trying to hide who he was from Cyrus. He just didn't want to be connected to his job and it would suffice for anyone who didn't already know him.

"Hello, Robert."

"Hello, Cyrus and this must be… your ward."

He appreciated his friend's discretion as his friend shook hands with Harry. His friend then continued, "Let's go to where we'll have some privacy."

He led them to a circular room with many doors and with a silent spell, he chose a door and led them through it. They ended up in group of rooms that seemed like they'd belong in a hospital. He chose a room seemingly at random and after he closed and silenced the door, he spoke to them both.

"Cyrus has asked me to examine your scar. Now, I may not be a healer but I do know a lot about magic and I am going to examine the magic in and on you and given how you got that scar I believe that is critical to determining what is going on."

He then turned and looked for something in a cabinet and came back with what looked like a hand mirror with knobs attached to it. He held it up and explained to them both, "This is what we call Zelazny's Mirror, don't ask me about the name, it's an inside joke from one of the ones who developed it. Apparently it's some Muggle fantasy author who wrote about a wizard who could see magic, I'm sure he got it all wrong. Anyway, it allows me to examine magic visually and the knobs let me focus on different aspects of it. Now, let's have a look… Merlin!"

Cyrus watched his friend in alarm as he looked surprised and then stood back to get a more overall look at Harry through his contraption. Robert continued to examine the results by turning different knobs and the silence got to him. "What's wrong?" He could tell from Harry's face that he was as concerned as he was.

His friend looked amazed and mystified as he gave a distracted response. "Nothing is wrong, per se…. It's just… unusual."

That vague response wasn't satisfying at all but at least it took the edge off of his concern. Now, he could wait until his friend was finished with his analysis. After a minute of tinkering, he finally lowered his device with a thoughtful look. When he became aware of his environment again, he must have seen their questions written all over their faces.

He chuckled briefly before he began to speak. "It appears I have made you wait too long already. I was surprised because you, Mr. Potter, are positively glowing with magical energy. It isn't your aura as I examined that too, it's larger than normal, like your magical core but this is something different. It's like a ward surrounding you but it is not from your magic, it's different but not too different so it must be from a relative. Are you aware of any spells that your parents may have placed on you?"

Cyrus could speculate on that but he could see that Harry was ready to answer so he remained silent. "That would be my Mum's protection, she sacrificed herself to save me."

Robert's eyes stared into the distance, unseeing, as he slowly spoke. "Sacrificial magic, that's amazing and still powerful after all these years – about twelve now. Amazing."

His eyes finally focussed on Harry again and he seemed to startle. "Oh, I'm sorry, I've become distracted and this isn't what you were in here for. Right, let's have a look at the scar then."

Robert seemed a bit flustered until he settled into an examination of Harry's forehead. He was quite thorough as he looked from different angles and made numerous adjustments of the knobs. He sighed when he was done and looked at the two of them contemplatively before speaking.

"The scar is due to dark magic but it's not something I've seen before. I recorded the examination, which cannot be tied to you. All I saw was the magic, not your head and nobody could identify you from it. I'd like to show it to a colleague to get another opinion before I can say anything specific with confidence. All I can give you are some generalities right now. Is it OK for me to share this with a colleague?"

Harry looked at him so he went with trusting his friend. "Go ahead, we just don't want anyone to know who is involved."

"Don't worry, all of us who work here understand discretion. I doubt he'd ask but if does, I'll just say that it is confidential and he'd drop it immediately. Anyway, any discomfort you might be feeling, Mr. Potter, is due to the fact that whatever is in the scar of yours is interacting with your mother's protection on you. I can also say that whatever is in your scar is losing. The magical energy is being drained from your scar and there is some sort of mental connection as well. All that said, though, I can't tell you what that is in your scar. It's magical but it's not just magic but what else it is I cannot say for certain. I promise to get back with you after my discussion with my colleague. I am not giving up. Any questions?"

Cyrus had questions but nothing he would ask in front of Harry so he shook his head no. Harry did the same so his friend then approached Harry with his mirror. "I'd like a private word with Cyrus for a minute or two but while you are waiting, I thought you might like to try this yourself. Just look through the mirror at your hand and you will see the protection I was talking about, you can't miss it. You can try the knobs too but do not press this button." He pointed to something on top and Harry nodded his understanding.

"All set then?"

Harry nodded and smiled back at Robert then Robert signalled Cyrus towards a corner. While his friend cast a privacy spell, Cyrus maneuvered himself so he could look over his friend's shoulder to see Harry and saw that he seemed fascinated with what he saw in the mirror. Cyrus then looked at his friend's anxious face and his heart fell a little as it was obvious that there was bad news.

"I'm afraid that we now appear to have confirmation that that madman has made a Horcrux. I am fairly sure that what is in his scar is a soul fragment but I've never seen the like before so I want to confirm it. The good news for Harry is that I doubt we'll have to do anything about it. His mother's protection is attacking and overwhelming it. It's only a matter of time until whatever it is will be gone."

Cyrus felt a jolt of relief go through him and he hadn't felt anything like this since the birth of his daughters. He could now admit to himself that he had very much feared losing Harry. Although he'd miss the boy, he knew that would be nothing compared to the reaction of his oldest and for her sake he was extremely glad.

"I have other good news. I also have recorded the magical signature from that scar. With that, I hope to be able to construct something that can detect that signature to help us find if there are any others. That diary must have been one and it is possible that only that fragment in Mr. Potter is keeping him on this plane of existence. However, the man was mad enough to do it once, he may have done it again. It is in everyone's best interest to make sure all of those abominations are destroyed."

"Agreed. Is there anything I need to do for Harry?"

"Not at this time. Let me know if there are any changes. A healer can help with side effects but they wouldn't know what to do with what he has in that scar of his. Well, let's check out that prophecy, shall we?"

Cyrus wanted to shake his head at how his friend was able to put these revelations aside. He did not look forward to explaining this to Roxanne but he didn't dare try to shirk that responsibility. He didn't want to get in that much trouble ever again.

Harry seemed reluctant to give up Robert's mirror contraption and that almost was enough to make Cyrus smile. They then went through a few doors and ended up in a huge room with glass containers held in row after row of shelving. He led them to a particular spot as if he'd been there many times. He then pointed at one particular globe and told Harry to take it.

"Only the subjects of the prophecy can take down the globe, anyone else trying would not like the results. Let's take it into a private room and you can play it there." Robert led the way to a room and held open the door and waited while the other two went in. "Mr. Potter, I'd like to hear the prophecy too, if you don't mind."

Harry looked to him for guidance as he thought furiously, considering the pros and cons. "I would suggest you allow him to hear it. Prophecies usually have multiple possible meanings, he might help us interpret it."

Harry then looked back at the unspeakable and nodded his assent so he entered. "This room is warded for privacy already. You can tap the globe with your wand anytime and we'll be able to hear it." Harry took a deep breath and tapped the globe and they heard an ethereal woman's' voice.

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

The silence was nearly overwhelming, all he could hear was the soft breathing of the three of them. He couldn't see Harry's face as he was staring down at the now-silent globe but he could well imagine the anguish he must feel. He wasn't the subject of the prophecy and he felt plenty of anguish himself.

He exchanged a look with Robert and felt he was thinking the same as him. The linking of their lives by that soul fragment must part of the reason for the odd part of not living while the other survives. As he feared, the victor was not declared in the prophecy. There was one thing that bothered him though and he wanted to break the silence anyway.

"I'm a little surprised that he attacked Harry like he did. He made the part come true about marking him as his equal and he should have been more careful about the 'power the Dark Lord knows not'."

Robert responded, "Perhaps he only knew the prophecy existed or didn't know the whole thing. We already know he's mad as a hatter, maybe he's too arrogant to be careful."

Cyrus nodded. "All are possible I suppose."

Robert cleared his throat before saying, "There are no obstacles to leaving and you can leave the globe on the shelf there. You can stay here as long as you want. This will point you the way out, just throw it away when you get out as it won't last long once you leave here. Well, I'll consider what I heard and try to find out more about the scar and get back to you, Cyrus. It was a pleasure to meet you, Harry." He handed a small stick to Cyrus.

The only response from Harry was a whispered "likewise".

Robert gave Cyrus a sympathetic look and he quietly left them alone in the room. At first, Cyrus waited to see if Harry would say something but the silence became too intense for him. "Remember Harry, you are not alone in this. House Greengrass will stand with you, I swear this as Lord Greengrass."

Harry sniffed and looked up at him briefly before looking down again and whispering, "Thanks."

"Like he said, we can take our time. We can wait, we can talk if you want and we can leave for home when you want. I'll leave it up to you." Cyrus buried his frustration of not knowing what else to do. His wife was so much better at this than he was. On the other hand, he saw no advantage in hurrying the boy so he'd wait here with him as long as it took.

* * *

His experience at Gringotts made Harry think that perhaps he'd worried too much about today. He had found out his Godfather was innocent even though they couldn't do anything about that now. He had confirmed that he should have been with the Greengrasses all along. He even had gotten some precious books from his family and especially his parents. Sure, it had been an emotional time but overall it was good, not bad.

Even the start at the Department of Mysteries was good. Seeing his mother's magic for the first time was amazing. He may not be able to remember seeing her but he'd never forget seeing her protection around him. It was a beautiful golden aura completely surrounding and protecting him. It was astonishing and it was beautiful and it was a gift from his mother. If only she'd not had to die to give it to him.

Hearing the prophecy was devastating at first. Him against this guy with decades of experience on him? How was this fair? But as he sat there feeling sorry for himself, two things finally solidified in his mind. First, did this really change anything? He'd already known the old maniac wanted him dead, no difference there. This only told him why and it was vaguely reassuring that it wasn't random chance and there actually was a reason.

The other thing he realized is that his promise to not be a grumpy git should include not being a mopey git. If he was serious about becoming better, and he was, he had to buck up and take this on. What good did feeling sorry for himself do? None, that's what. He couldn't let Daphne see him like this and it was time to accept his challenge and go home. He felt a flutter of warmth when he realized that home was Greengrass Manor now, a place where people actually cared about him.

He used that knowledge to buoy his mood and he thought he did pretty well. On the other hand, he had not missed the fact that Cyrus's Unspeakable friend had talked privately with Cyrus just as Cyrus and Roxanne were doing now. There might be something they were keeping from him but he refused to be paranoid about it. These were people who cared about him and Roxanne had proven that to him abundantly and now he was getting such reassurance from Cyrus as well. If he had to know something, he felt they would tell him.

He had told Daphne, and her little sister who insisted on being present, about everything although he didn't try to recite the prophecy and spoke of it as little as he could get away with. He knew he wasn't fooling Daphne but she was nice enough not to call him on it. His favourite part was how they ooohed and aaahed about him seeing his mother's protection. A close second was when he revealed that their parents had been listed as guardians and that he should have been with them all along and he grinned as both girls celebrated.

Soon it was time for dinner and although he tried to keep things light, a gloom seemed to take over the table. Harry didn't think he was responsible for it but couldn't be sure as he sometimes did things without realizing it. He kept trying to pretend but after the pudding, Daphne had apparently had enough.

"What's wrong Harry?"

Harry stared at his empty plate and realized at least his appetite hadn't failed him. He felt fully responsible for the mood pervading the room though. The only thing he could think of is to face the prophecy head on. He turned to Cyrus and asked, "Can I borrow your Pensieve, Cyrus?"

"What is it that you want to show, Harry?"

Harry did his best to appear resolute. "The prophecy."

He saw Cyrus and Roxanne exchange glances and then Cyrus turned to Astoria. "This will be private, Astoria. You can do something else."

Harry saw her turn red and open her mouth to protest but surprisingly, she shut it without a sound and quietly left. Her gait was a bit stiff and she was still red so she was still upset. Harry's heart went out to her but this was clearly her parent's decision, not his. Besides, he sort of wished he hadn't heard it himself, although she'd disagree, she was probably better off this way.

Harry then turned to look at Daphne and was shocked at seeing her flat stare at him. Her face softened marginally when she said, "Come on, Harry. Let's face this together."

She was trying to be strong for him or at least that is what he thought that meant. She led the way towards Cyrus' den and oddly it was the parents who trailed behind. Cyrus shut and sealed the door as Harry stepped up to the Pensieve and focussed on just hearing the prophecy. He wanted his reaction and what Cyrus and Robert said out of it as much as possible.

When he had deposited the memory, Cyrus came forward, touched some runes with his wand and the scene appeared above the device and Harry heard it for the second time. His progress with Occlumency had ensured he remembered the whole thing word for word. Seeing and hearing it again didn't really change anything but it brought his feelings out again anyway. He tried to appear strong but he was sure his attempt was failing rather spectacularly.

When it ended, he cut his eyes toward Daphne and he saw she was staring at him with sorrow in her eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks. He couldn't bear to see her crying so he looked down but that may have been a mistake. He flinched in surprise when he heard her hard voice.

"Did you listen Harry? Did you listen to what we told you in the Gryffindor study room? Did you listen to the prophecy? Let me remind you of the highlights!"

He looked at her in mixed awe and trepidation, she seemed like a force of nature as she advanced on him and got in his face. "Did you hear the part 'the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord'? Did you? That was YOU Harry!" She poked him in the chest to emphasize her point and although she still had tears on her cheeks her eyes looked angry. It was all Harry could do to not take a step back.

"Did you hear the part 'mark him as his equal'? Did you?" She poked him right on his scar that time. He understood her anger now. He wasn't facing this like he should and he was disappointing her. He couldn't have that so he straightened and looked her straight back in the eyes as she finished her rant.

Her voice lost some of its force as she finished. "You aren't alone. I'm with you, Tracey is with you, Neville is with you, Hermione is with you and even that git Weasley is with you!" Then very softly she added, "The Greengrass family is with you. You're part of us now. You'll never have to be alone again."

With that she engulfed him in a hug and he did the only thing he could, he pulled her into him as tightly as he dared. She was giving in to her tears again but he took what she said to heart and just focused on his feelings about what she'd said, his new sense of belonging. He then looked towards the Greengrass parents and although his eyes were a bit watery, he could see that they looked gobsmacked. Apparently, even they were very impressed by their daughter.

* * *

It was one thing for her to hear her husband recite the prophecy, it was quite another thing for her to see Harry's memory of it. She saw how it affected him then and how it affected him still and she wanted to do nothing more than go over and hug and comfort him. Before she could move though, her daughter had started in on him. She was appalled and even started to move to stop her when she remembered two things.

First, her daughter cared for him at least as much as she did, if not more. Second, she knew him better than she did. Their talks, their writing to each other, they had each bared themselves to the other. Maybe, just maybe, her daughter knew how to handle this better than she did.

She relaxed when she saw him straighten and look right back at her as she wound down. Her guess had been right, Daphne did know how to handle this better than she did. He wasn't an overwhelmed mess, he was now standing up for himself, facing what he needed to face. Daphne was turning this boy into a man right before her eyes and turning herself into an incredible woman at the same time. She couldn't think of a moment when she was more proud of her daughter than this one.

Her eyes swam with unshed tears as she watched the two of them comfort each other. There was no doubt about it, they are and would be a formidable pair. As they slowly recovered and then began to release each other from their hugs, she decided that they still needed some alone time. She knew just what to suggest.

"Harry, Daphne, why don't you two take a walk. See which flowers are blooming now, maybe watch the sunset. Take your time."

Her daughter gave her a grateful look and they murmured thanks as they slowly left to go on their walk. She turned and hugged her husband, their daughter was growing up and she was pretty sure she knew at whose side Daphne would spend the rest of her life.

* * *

Sirius left the house at number 4 Privet Drive and ambled back towards the small plot of woods where he would hide. He'd heard that Harry was living with Muggles and given how the top two in the custody list in the Potter will had fared he decided to see if he was with his bint of an aunt, which hadn't been the least bit encouraging about his welfare. If he hadn't already known her husband's name and approximately where they lived, he'd never have found this place. He whimpered at a sharp pain, his right rear paw was still hurting, he'd have to take another look at it tonight.

He laid down by a tree far enough into the woods for him to be hard to see in the gathering gloom. He'd wasted a day and a half here and he had to decide what to do. He'd been desperate to see Harry after all of these years and was somewhat relieved to not find him here. His scent was here but it was old, as in at least a year old. He wasn't there and it seemed unlikely that he'd ever be back. He searched for wards or other protections and found nothing, this place was abandoned except for the Muggles still living there.

He'd come very far south to see Harry and now he had a long trek back north to get to Hogwarts. He really ought to get started on that. He would have liked to go west and seek out Peter but the article had been clear, they'd be out of the country until just before school. His chances of getting to Peter before Hogwarts started were bad and not worth pursuing.

He was tempted to head north but he still wanted to see Harry, just once. It would reassure him so much but where was his godson? He forced himself to focus on old memories when he and James had discussed Harry's guardianship. He remembered the slight sting of coming in second to Alice but he had understood. She was married and had a child of nearly identical age, they had the familial alliance and she was a logical first choice. He was a bachelor who couldn't focus on just one woman, at least, not since Marlene had died. He whined in renewed grief, after all these years he still missed her.

He'd known Alice and Frank's fate for years, he wasn't going to waste his time going there and obviously his dead friends' second choice didn't have him. That left Roxanne Lannister/Greengrass but where did she live? He'd never really known Cyrus well so he had no direct knowledge of where he might live. He forced himself to older memories, of his childhood in the Black home. He had seen Cyrus' father there but again, he didn't recall any mention by him of where they lived.

Then a fragment of an overheard conversation came to him. Something about the Greengrass family starting out as farmers and successful ones at that. That was a clue, but where? He knew that East Anglia was renowned as the best farming area, could they be there? Then a word popped back into his mind: Norfolk. Yes! His grandfather had mentioned Norfolk as connected to the Greengrasses and Norfolk was part of East Anglia!

Although he'd have to head east, it was to the north of where he was now. It may not be on his direct route to Hogwarts but it was somewhat on his way. He realized that he was facing a choice he'd had before: take care of Harry or go for revenge? He'd made the wrong decision then and he wouldn't repeat it. It may end up as a wild goose chase, but in the morning he was headed for Norfolk.

* * *

Draco had been distracted for months now. His father losing his seat on the board of governors had been bad enough but then he'd been thrown into Azkaban! He'd felt abandoned and powerless, he'd always felt his power was derived from his father's and that his destiny was to become like him. Now his power base and idol were torn from him, only to be seen on their infrequent visits to Azkaban.

His father was forced to live in a disgusting hovel of a room, with hardly anything there. His mother had had to ask for chairs for them! His father looked thinner and older, it was so very disheartening to see. Why was he there? For the death of some insignificant man that the world was better off being rid of! Instead of sending him here, they should have given his father a medal!

His private talk with his father had been very eye-opening, he had been dealing with what was going on around him as a student rather than as the heir of a prominent family. This probable coalition against them had galvanized his determination to grow up and become a force in the magical world. However, it seemed to his father, and him, that the most dangerous component of that coalition was Greengrass.

Now he had a mission but it was only partly what his father had told him to do. He suspected the Greengrasses and Longbottoms of plotting to put him where he was so yes, he'd watch Neville, Daphne and the little sister too if she showed up. But he wasn't going to just watch, he was going to have his vengeance. His father had given him access to an account and he was going to use that money and he was going to have revenge. He'd once thought Daphne might make a decent wife for him but she'd continually dismissed him. Well, for that and for what her father had done to his, she was going to pay and pay dearly. Draco Malfoy would see to it!

* * *

Evenings had definitely become Daphne's favourite time of day since the terrible day they'd found out about the prophecy. Ever since her mother had suggested it, they had made it a point to end their days with a walk outside. Even that evening two days ago when it rained, they had still taken their walk underneath umbrella shields cast by her mother.

Harry's mood had improved each evening as well and so had hers for the most part. However, there was a downside to her decision to touch him more to reassure him. It had worked but the unfortunate side effect was that she found it rather addictive. The more she touched him the more she wanted to do it and, well, other things.

For instance, they were now holding hands just like boyfriend/girlfriend and it made her heart beat faster. The sad fact, however, was that they were not boyfriend/girlfriend. As much as he was becoming more accustomed to touching, there was nothing in word or deed from him that he was ready to be a boyfriend. She valued her friendship and this newfound intimacy far too much to risk it by pushing him for more. She would have to remain patient, as much as she disliked that.

However, she couldn't stop her idle wondering, if she could hold his hand, why couldn't she put her arm around him and snuggle in? Why couldn't she kiss him? Why couldn't she feel… well, erm, OK, maybe she wasn't quite ready for that part herself. It happened in her dreams though and one day she wanted it to be real. However, it would never be reality as long as they were just friends. She felt a little bad for putting the word 'just' in front of 'friends' as his friendship was very important to her. She just wanted more!

She suddenly realized that he seemed to have caught on to her mood, he was becoming more perceptive, which was a good thing really, it just forced her to be more careful sometimes. She needed a distraction and then found it just ahead of them where a butterfly fluttered over some flowers. She pointed at it with a big smile and got a smile back while he glanced from her to the butterfly.

She was content for now, she really was and even these quiet times when they just walked together were precious. She could be strong for him just as he could be strong for her. He was her friend, her good friend and it was enough for now.

* * *

Harry was sort of at loose ends that morning. Since it was a Saturday they had no class and Astoria had left to visit a friend just after breakfast so that distraction was gone. It looked like a nice day and he hated to waste that by reading the family grimoire. He'd decided to read it front to back and the older stuff was hard to read and so far, there'd been no cool new spells. He had learned some old family history though.

He was looking out at the surrounding fields when Daphne came up beside him. "How about a morning walk for once?"

He had fun on walks with her even if they didn't talk so he didn't have to be convinced. "Sure. Can we try a new direction this time?"

"Sure, let's go west."

At first she walked close and he thought she'd take his hand but then he was just thinking of taking her hand when she moved farther away and it became impractical. She'd been doing that lately, getting close and then backing off and he couldn't figure out why. He'd gotten more accustomed to her touches and was really starting to enjoy it, which was very new to him.

However, Daphne had always seemed to have some boundaries and he didn't want to push. He owed her a lot and invading her boundaries seemed like a poor repayment. He looked around, admiring birds and butterflies, whatever was moving around. There weren't as many flowers this way, it seemed to be crops here. He looked more closely, was that wheat? Oats? Something else?

They'd been walking for a while when he was surprised to hear a bark. There was a dog here? He looked around and spotted a large, black dog cavorting in the distance. "Hey look! Let's go see the dog!"

Daphne didn't answer and was instead looking at the dog with a frown but she kept going with him so he didn't worry about it. Maybe she didn't like dogs, some people were like that. He noticed an old stone fence that the dog was behind but couldn't figure out why. The dog could either jump over it or walk over it easily. Why was it pacing on the other side of such a minor obstacle?

He could see how excited the dog was as they got closer but then Daphne suddenly stepped closer to him and grabbed his arm and they both stopped. "That's a Grim!" She looked really scared and Harry was trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"It's just a dog, Daphne."

"No, I think it's a Grim but…." She paused and looked around and then peered more closely at the suddenly quiet dog. She looked over at Harry who was still trying to figure out what she was talking about. "A Grim is a large spectral dog, usually near churches. It's a harbinger of death."

That sounded like a myth to Harry but he was in a magical society so had to consider the possibility she was on to something. He looked at the dog again, who although still excited was sitting rather calmly and giving them an almost pleading look. "He doesn't look spectral to me."

Daphne's response sounded reluctant as she said, "No he doesn't. They are also supposed to rather bear-like and have yellow eyes and his seem to be – grey? Plus, there's no churches anywhere near here. I suppose he just might be a big, black dog."

The dog seemed to respond positively to that and barked at them again. Harry's smile faded as he looked more closely at the dog. "Look! The poor thing has burrs in his fur and look how skinny he is! Isn't anyone taking care of him!?"

The dog whined at him as Daphne started to slowly approach but she still kept her hand on Harry's arm as if she were afraid he'd bolt forward or something. Harry thought it was sort of nice she was protective and all but he was really wondering what had her so spooked about a dog.

"Look at him! He needs some food! Why is he staying on the other side of that little wall, he should be able to jump it."

"Harry, that wall is also the edge of our outer wards. A strange dog wouldn't be allowed in and this dog must have tried as he is staying on the other side."

"Oh. We can at least feed him though, right?"

She finally looked at him and smiled. "Sure, I'll have Mipsy get something for him. Mipsy!"

"Miss Daphne is calling Mipsy? What can Mipsy… Eek! Grim! Get behind me Miss Daphne and Mister Harry! Mipsy can protect!"

Daphne quickly tried to calm the distraught elf. "No! it's fine, Mipsy. I thought it might be a Grim too but it's not. It's just a big black dog but it's hungry. We were wondering if you could bring him something to eat."

Mipsy looked uncertain but then seemed to consider her request. "Mipsy can find some meat for him. A big dog will need a big bowl. Mipsy will fetch and be back soon. Stay away from big dog, Mipsy not trust big dogs."

Harry found their reactions to the dog humorous but decided it was better to keep that to himself. "He looks like he's starved for attention." Harry began to walk closer but Daphne grabbed his arm again.

"It's probably a stray, it might bite you. Stay on our side of the wards."

"I think his right rear paw is hurt, he seems to favour it a little."

"That doesn't mean he was mistreated."

Harry gave her a quick look but then replied calmly, "It doesn't mean he wasn't either."

She moved closer and encouraged him to turn and face her. "He doesn't seem beaten down, he's not afraid of us so I doubt he was mistreated. However, he might just want food from us and might misunderstand your attempt to pet him. He might bite you, Harry. So please be careful."

"He seems glad to see us."

"All we know is that he's excited. There's some diseases they can carry and he's big and can hurt you by accident. We can feed him but there's no reason to take a risk. We can talk to him, there's no harm in that."

Harry sighed in frustration, she had a point. He just felt so bad for the dog and wanted to comfort him but like she said, it wasn't worth the risk.

He looked at the dog and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, boy. We can get you food and water but you'll have to stay on your side for now, OK?"

"He really seems to like you. He even seems like he might understand you."

Harry turned to look at her. "Dogs can be pretty good at understanding commands and they're usually eager to please. I wish I could pet him."

In the next moment, they were startled by the reappearance of Mipsy holding two large bowls. "Mipsy has what big dog needs. Let Mipsy do this." She then proceeded to levitate the two bowls, one with meat and the other with water over to the dog. The dog immediately drank some water and then hungrily dug into the meat.

Harry watched with interest as the dog ate quickly, he'd been right, the dog was nearly starving. "If he stays around, we should feed him." When Daphne didn't answer he looked at her and she looked at the dog dubiously but when she saw him looking she gave him a reluctant smile.

"Agreed, we can come tomorrow and if he's here, we'll feed him. OK?"

Harry smiled back and just said, "Thanks."

Daphne blushed and looked away.

* * *

Daphne nearly took his hand when they started their morning walk but then decided it was a bad idea. If she held his hand this soon, she want to do more than that later and she couldn't afford that. She just enjoyed the quiet companionship as they walked.

When she thought it was a Grim, she was very frightened. She couldn't afford to lose him this soon but then she realized that she had seen it too. Were they both doomed? It took her a few moments to calm down and realize she had misinterpreted what it was. It could still be dangerous though and it wasn't easy to convince him of it.

She knew what he was seeing, of course. Given his background, he would see any stray or injured dog as being mistreated and needing help. It was part of his nature due to those damned Muggles that raised him. She had no objections to his big heart, she rather liked it in fact, but she couldn't allow him to endanger himself.

She'd gotten a little suspicious as the dog seemed to focus so much on Harry but then she realized that it probably realized that Harry was the one with more sympathy and the one more likely to give him a handout, nothing more. Still, it was best for each of them to stay on their own side of the wards.

She looked at him as he watched the dog and talked to it. He was so cute that she just wanted to hug and kiss him. She felt like a hopeless case, pining for something that she couldn't have, at least for now. She'd have to find some way of giving him what he needed without making herself want too much. What a balancing act she was setting herself up for.

* * *

Sirius was very tired and hungry and was trudging his way across the county again, hoping to find something. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. He needed food and he needed some rest but he also needed to find Harry. He was approaching a low, stone fence when he suddenly sensed the presence of wards.

He studied them as his father had taught him, one of the few useful things he'd ever learned from his parents. These were very powerful wards, they must be tied to ley lines to have such power. They were also old wards that didn't advertise their presence. Some careless fool could wander right into them and hurt himself badly. Sirius Black was not so careless. There were probably Muggle repelling wards that didn't affect him but he was too tired to check.

He looked around and saw what must be a large manor way in the distance. However, he could tell that it was very unlikely anyone would hear him at that distance. Even if they did, why would they pay attention to a stray dog?

He looked at the position of the house in relation to the fences he could see and it seemed to be about in the centre. It didn't look likely he could get any closer but he'd eventually try. For now, though, he needed rest. It also had been a while since he'd crossed that stream so he was thirsty too. He collapsed where he was and looked at his paw again. It seemed to be trying to heal but he was walking so much it never got a chance to finish. He quickly fell into an exhausted slumber.

He suddenly awoke and wondered why when his ears perked up. He heard people walking so he quickly sat up to look for them. There they were, a boy and a girl. Could the boy possibly be – yes! He looked so much like James that there was only one possibility of who that boy was. He jumped up and ran along the fence to reach the point he was walking towards. He was so excited that he just couldn't stay put and paced on his side of the wards.

Then he checked out the girl, she must be Roxanne's oldest but what was her name again? He had to resist the urge to try to leap the fence to get to Harry but knew that would be a very risky move. Then he heard him call her Daphne. Yes, he remembered now, she was definitely Roxanne's oldest and now that he looked at her, she did resemble Roxanne. He was pleased and amused at how careful she was about Harry. As a matter of fact, he got the distinct impression that she fancied him, a lot. His godson was so lucky! She was quite pretty and would likely end up a beauty like her mother.

He got a little desperate when she got the idea that he was a Grim. He seriously considered transforming but that would start up a whole new can of worms that might make Harry permanently unavailable. He had to try to act like a friendly dog and settled down as she realized her mistake.

He was so hungry that he couldn't suppress his canine reaction to the mention of food. He wasn't going to be fussy, he'd eat anything. As it turned out the house elf gave him some very good scraps and he really needed the water too. He also soaked up the attention from Harry. He felt like he could run all the way to Hogwarts now!

His godson was healthy, seemed happy and was under the care of a kind woman. Sirius couldn't ask for more than that for his godson, he was very happy for him. However, how she talked about Harry assuming that he was an abused pet gave him pause. The only thing he could think of was that Harry's time with that bint Petunia might have been as bad as he'd feared. If he found out that they had abused their nephew, he'd show them how a Black dealt with someone who wronged their family. He refused to hate them for being Muggles like his family. On the other hand, he would hate them for what they probably had done to Harry.

He was sad when they turned to leave for lunch but Harry seemed anxious to see him the next day. However, he had thought that once he checked on Harry, he'd head to Hogwarts. Now he wasn't sure what to do so he'd have to sleep on it.

* * *

Harry walked beside Daphne as they took their customary late walk in the Greengrass garden. She had been acting oddly for a few days and it seemed to get worse since they encountered the stray dog earlier that day. He began to question his decision to wait her out. He was now thinking that you shouldn't let some things fester or they could become worse. Whatever was wrong with her seemed to involve him as he hadn't noticed any difference in her interactions with her family, just with him.

"What's wrong, Daphne?"

She gave him a guarded look. "Why do you think there is something wrong?"

"Because you are acting differently towards me. Have I done something wrong?"

Mild alarm flickered across her face before she answered. "No. You haven't done anything wrong."

"Then what is it?"

She turned away and sighed. "I've just been thinking. It's nothing for you to worry about."

"If something bothers one of my friends, it bothers me too. I'd be glad to listen."

That earned him a quick smile but she turned away just as quickly so he was still concerned. However, he didn't want to badger her so he just waited. They got to her favourite place to sit so he sat beside her as usual but this time, he turned toward her and waited. At first, she just looked towards the horizon but slowly it became obvious that she had noticed that he was watching her and he gradually became aware of signs of nervousness from her.

Suddenly, she groaned and said, "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

She started to glare at him but she apparently couldn't hold it so she looked away from him again. "I was thinking about firsts."

"Firsts?"

"You know, the first time something happens in your life."

He thought he knew what she meant but decided to be sure. "You mean like the first time you saw Hogwarts?"

"That's a good example."

She did not continue so he prodded her. "And?"

She huffed and lowered her head so her hair hid her face completely from him. "I was thinking of a first that hasn't happened yet."

"Is it something I can help you with?"

She made a strange sound, something like a cross between a laugh and a groan.

He waited a few moments but she had no other reaction. "Are you OK?"

She simply nodded her head so he decided to wait. When she spoke, it was so quiet that he wasn't sure he heard it correctly. "My first kiss."

He swallowed nervously and this time he looked away. She wanted to kiss somebody and it made his stomach feel like it was tied into a knot. He had no idea what to say and the silence became tense for him. When she spoke again her voice was clearer and louder so he looked back to see her looking at him with her normal public icy façade.

"A first kiss is important for a girl, she wants it to be special."

He wanted to swallow again but his throat refused to work. He was embarrassed when his voice cracked during his response but he was grateful that she didn't react to that.

"Do you have the lucky bloke picked out?" He felt better for a moment when a small smile finally appeared on her face.

"Yes. I've wanted to kiss him for a few months now but I was afraid of his reaction."

Part of him was wondering why she was telling him this. He was starting to feel sick as if the subject was tearing him up inside although he wasn't sure why. His voice betrayed him again during his answer.

"I don't think you have to worry. Whoever it is, is very lucky, he should b-be happy."

She suddenly moved over and sat right up against him. Her whole side was pressed tightly to his and he found it hard to breathe. Her voice was sort of breathy and soft when she asked, "Do you really think so?"

Her face was really close to his, he was pretty sure he felt her breath on his face as she spoke. He couldn't take his eyes off of hers and his lungs seemed to have taken a vacation. He could only nod mutely.

She slowly began to turn towards him and her shifting shoulder encouraged him to turn towards her too. Her face was coming even closer to his and she was staring into his eyes just as he stared into hers. He felt like he was frozen in a moment of time, unable to move. Suddenly their lips touched and he closed his eyes as she did the same. He felt a band of heat on his back where her arm was holding him and he felt her back with his hand as well.

At first it was a tentative touch of lips but then they touched again and she moved her lips against his. Some sort of instinct kicked in and he tried to kiss her back. As it continued, he began to think that this was better than he had ever suspected it would be. Kissing a girl was sort of nice.

She moaned into his mouth and he felt her tongue move against his partly open lips. Nice? Scratch that. It was bloody incredible!

* * *

Roxanne lowered her omnioculars with a grin and a wistful sigh. She had been watching the signs and she just knew their first kiss would happen during one of their evening walks. She felt a little guilty for spying on them but she had wanted to be sure that this important step was taken. She'd never forget her first kiss with Cyrus.

She thought of her friend Lily and hoped that if she had been able to look down on them a few moments ago that Lily felt as happy as she did. She wouldn't plan the wedding yet but the hope was blossoming in her heart, she felt they had a very good chance at the happiness a loving marriage could bring. The hard part now would be acting like she didn't know.

The End.

A/N2: This is the end of this story but not the end of the series. Stay tuned for Harry Potter and the Unexpected Dogfather, the next in the Unexpected series but there will be a delay until I start posting it.


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